SCOTLAND

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which websites are operated by his Department in addition to its main website; and what the operating budget for these websites is.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office operates no websites other than its main departmental website.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which websites were operated by his Department in addition to its main website in the last five years.

Ann McKechin: Until 2006 the Scotland Office also operated a website on behalf of the Commission on Boundary Differences and Voting Systems, chaired by Professor Sir John Arbuthnott.
	Since completion of the Arbuthnott Commission's work it has only operated the departmental website: www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk.

Departmental Public Appointments

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which of the public appointments for which his Department is responsible are due to be  (a) renewed and  (b) filled in the next 24 months; what the (i) remit, (ii) salary, (iii) political restriction, (iv) eligibility requirement and (v) timetable for each appointment is; and what records his Department keeps in respect of such appointments.

Ann McKechin: The Secretary of State for Scotland is responsible for appointing two commissioners to the Boundary Commission for Scotland. The commission is an independent and impartial advisory body, responsible for reviews of constituencies and regions for the Scottish Parliament, and constituencies in Scotland for the Westminster Parliament. One of the current commissioner appointments will run until 31 December 2010, the other until 6 June 2011. The posts are part time and require around one to two days work per month during the period of a boundary review. Commissioners are paid a daily fee, currently £486, for attending commission meetings and for meeting preparation. Applicants are expected to have a good understanding of the social geography of Scotland, the structure of constituencies for the Westminster and the Scottish Parliaments, and the electoral system. There are no statutory political restrictions, but it is recognised that commissioners are expected to be politically neutral. Appointments are made following Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) and other relevant guidance.
	The Secretary of State may also appoint, at the request of the commission, assistant commissioners, to "inquire into, and report to the Commission upon, such matters as the Commission think fit". In practice, assistant commissioners are appointed to conduct public inquiries into the commission's provisional recommendations. In Scotland, it is customary for Sheriffs Principal who preside over the relevant areas to be appointed for this purpose given their unquestioned independence and impartiality, and their local connection to the areas under consideration. These appointments are unpaid, and made for the duration of the inquiry process, typically a few months.
	The Scotland Office retains all official records relating to the appointment of both commissioners and assistant commissioners.

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions his Department has had with outside organisations to discuss policy to reduce the impact of the recession on matters within his Department's responsibility.

Ann McKechin: As one would expect, the Secretary of State for Scotland has regular engagements with outside organisations including relevant Government Departments on a range of issues relating to the economy.

Mass Media

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost of his Department's contracts with press monitoring services was in each of the last five years.

Ann McKechin: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   PressData (web-based press cuttings)  PA Mediapoint (web-based news wire)  Newslink (broadcast transcription) 
			 2003-04 18,215 0 0 
			 2004-05 19,817 0 0 
			 2005-06 18,000 0 0 
			 2006-07 18,572 0 0 
			 2007-08 12,150 5,651 2,892

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

BAE Systems: Saudi Arabia

Harry Cohen: To ask the Solicitor-General what the cost to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) was of defending the legal action challenging the decision to drop the investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption against BAE Systems plc in relation to Saudi Arabia; how much was paid to the legal team acting for the SFO in the case; what the fees were of Jonathan Sumption QC for representing the SFO in the appeal to the House of Lords; and from which budget these costs were met.

Vera Baird: The total cost to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of defending the legal action challenging the decision to drop the investigation into BAE Systems plc, as far as relating to Saudi Arabia, was £372,099.67. These costs comprise counsel fees, Treasury Solicitor fees and associated printing costs, and relate to both the hearing in the Divisional Court and the appeal in the House of Lords.
	The legal team acting for the SFO (that is, external counsel and Treasury Solicitors) was paid £344,144.37.
	Jonathan Sumption QC was paid £53,377 to represent the SFO in the appeal to the House of Lords.
	All the above costs were met from the normal SFO budget.
	All costs stated are exclusive of VAT.

WALES

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions his Department has had with outside organisations to discuss policy on reducing the effect of the recession on matters within his Department's responsibility.

Paul Murphy: I have regular engagements with outside organisations on a range of issues relating to the Welsh economy.
	I have recently met the Federation of Small Businesses Wales, the CBI and the Wales Trades Union Council. In addition I attend the regular meetings of the National Economic Council and the All Wales Economic Summits.

Non-domestic Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales with reference to the Answer of 16 July 2008,  Official Report, column 458W, on non-domestic rates: Wales, whether the 2005 council tax revaluation in Wales was revenue-neutral excluding the effect of transitional relief.

Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 24 April 2008,  Official Report, column 2180W. The 2005 council tax revaluation and rebanding exercise was revenue-neutral in that increases in council tax receipts during the year of the revaluation and subsequently arose from councils' decisions on raising council tax, rather than the revaluation. The rises were in line with increases in previous years.
	The increase in band D council tax was 3.8 per cent. between 2004-05 and 2005-06; 4.5 per cent. between 2005-06 and 2006-07, and 4.4 per cent. between 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Shellfish: Dredging

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on legislation to establish powers to prohibit scallop dredging in Welsh waters.

Wayne David: I recently discussed with the Welsh Assembly Government provisions in the Marine and Coastal Access Bill that will abolish Sea Fisheries Committees and provide Welsh Ministers further powers to manage fisheries, including scallop dredging, in Welsh waters.
	At present local authority Sea Fisheries Committees are taking the lead role in managing scallop fisheries, within six nautical miles of the Welsh Coast. The Welsh Assembly Government have existing powers to regulate scallop dredging in Welsh waters—principally section 5 of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967.
	I understand that discussions are taking place between WAG and other relevant organisations to develop a joint approach to seek to manage the situation in Cardigan bay.

Welsh Assembly Government

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence between officials and Ministers in his Office and Welsh Assembly Government Ministers and officials on the Welsh Language Legislative Competence Order in the last two years.

Paul Murphy: We have had frequent exchanges with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers and officials on the Welsh Language Legislative Competence Order. To make all such exchanges available in the Library would restrict our ability to conduct business effectively.
	However, the Wales Office has released some information relating to exchanges on the proposed order. It is available on the Wales Office website:
	www.walesoffice.gov.uk/foi/disclosures

Welsh Language

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish all legal opinions and advice obtained by his Department relating to the Welsh Language Legislative Competence Order.

Paul Murphy: We have received legal opinions and advice relating to the Welsh Language Legislative Competence Order from a number of sources. To make such advice available would restrict our ability to conduct business effectively.

Welsh Language

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what  (a) features,  (b) rights and  (c) sanctions will accrue to the Welsh language when it acquires official status under the Welsh Language Legislative Competence Order.

Paul Murphy: The Legislative Competence Order on the Welsh Language, when made, will confer legislative competence on the National Assembly for Wales in respect to the matters specified in the order. It will not confer official status on the Welsh language.
	The explanatory memorandum accompanying the proposed order explains its scope and content in detail. I have today laid these documents as a Command Paper before the House for pre-legislative scrutiny. Copies have been placed in the Library and can be found in the Vote Office.

PRIME MINISTER

China

Nigel Evans: To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions he has held with the Chinese Prime Minister on  (a) human rights in China and  (b) increasing British exports to China.

Gordon Brown: Premier Wen visited the UK on 31 January-2 February for the annual UK-China summit, during which time we held a series of discussions.
	I refer the hon. Member to the 'UK-China Summit: Key Outcomes 2009' which is available on the number 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18214
	I also refer the hon. Member to the 'UK-China joint statement', issued on 2 February, which is also available on the website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page18220
	Copies of both web pages have been placed in the Library of the House.

Personal Care Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister whether his Office has incurred any expenditure on his behalf for  (a) haircuts,  (b) make-up,  (c) hairdressers and  (d) make-up artists.

Gordon Brown: No.

DEFENCE

Absent Without Leave

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of service personnel  (a) went absent without leave and  (b) deserted in each of the last 10 years.  [Official Report, 16 September 2009, Vol. 496, c. 39-40MC.]

Quentin Davies: Records held centrally on service personnel who have gone absent without leave (AWOL) relate to the number of incidents reported, not to the number of personnel. Therefore, individuals with multiple periods of absence are recorded more than once. For this reason the percentage of service personnel who went absent without leave in each of the last 10 years cannot be provided. The following table shows absence without leave statistics for each service by calendar year for each of the last 10 years:
	
		
			   Incidents of reported AWOL 
			   Royal Navy( 1)  Army  Royal Air Force 
			 1999 35 2,055 15 
			 2000 55 2,710 25 
			 2001 90 2,645 25 
			 2002 110 2,950 25 
			 2003 120 2,820 35 
			 2004 185 3,030 55 
			 2005 195 2,715 35 
			 2006 155 2,330 10 
			 2007 115 2,290 25 
			 2008 125 2,105 5 
			 (1 )Over this period there have been a number of changes to the criteria for reporting absentees in the RN.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.  2. While the figures reflect the number of reports of AWOL, it may come to light later that there are extenuating circumstances and therefore does not reflect the number of personnel who went on to be formally charged with AWOL. 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of service personnel convicted of desertion in each of the last 10 years:
	
		
			   Convictions of desertion 
			 1999 18 
			 2000 8 
			 2001 3 
			 2002 7 
			 2003 3 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 6 
			 2006 8 
			 2007 2 
			 2008 (1)4 
			 (1 )This figure does not include the last quarter of 2008 for the RN.

Afghanistan: Official Visits

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) delays and  (b) cancellations of VIP visits there have been in Afghanistan in the last 12 months.

John Hutton: Every effort is made to ensure that VIP visits to operational theatres proceed smoothly. However, on occasion, there are inevitably difficulties due to adverse weather, equipment serviceability and competing operational requirements for finite air and aviation resources. Visits are also on occasion cancelled for reasons without the control of my Department. We do not collate detailed statistics on the number of VIP visits delayed or cancelled and generating robust statistics could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long it will take to modify Merlin helicopters for use in Afghanistan; and how much this will cost.

John Hutton: It is expected to cost around £50 million to modify the Merlin helicopters for use on operations in Afghanistan. We are doing all we can to ensure a swift transition to Afghanistan. Nevertheless, we envisage a short period of around four months for the Merlin force to prepare for operations in Afghanistan after extraction from Iraq.

Air Force: Contracts

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what multi-activity contracts (MACs) the Royal Air Force has; and what the  (a) scope,  (b) monetary value and  (c) date of expiry of each MAC is.

Quentin Davies: The scope of each individual multi-activity contract (MAC) is different, covering a range of services that support the operation of the station. These services may include, for example, cleaning, waste disposal, transport and supply and management of consumables. For large training units the MAC is often linked directly with the contract to provide the training output.
	The monetary value and date of expiry of each RAF multi-activity contract is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Location of MAC  Expiry date  Current estimated annual monetary value (£ million) 
			 RAF Valley March 2012 13.8 
			 RAF Cranwell March 2013 13.2 
			 RAF Northolt/Uxbridge March 2010 9.7 
			 RAF Brampton/Wyton/Henlow March 2011-March 2012 7.9 
			 RAF Shawbury March 2012 6.3 
			 RAF Brize Norton March 2010 5.4 
			 RAF Lyneham March 2012 4.5 
			 RAF Cosford December 2011 4.4 
			 RAF High Wycombe March 2010 4.2 
			 RAF Halton March 2010 4.0 
			 RAF Linton March 2010 2.0 
			 Air Surveillance and Control System (ASACS)/RAF Fylingdales March 2009 2.6

Armed Forces: Parades

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military tattoos are held each year in the UK; and at which locations they are held.

Kevan Jones: Details of all military tattoos and locations are not retained centrally by the MOD. The MOD does not currently run any tattoos; they are operated by commercial organisations who will hold their own records.

Arms Trade: Treaties

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with representatives from the defence industry about the proposed Arms Trade Treaty.

John Hutton: I have regular discussions with representatives of the defence industry and defence trade associations on a range of issues, but to date have not specifically discussed the proposed Arms Trade Treaty.
	The Ministry of Defence fully supports the Government's effort to establish an Arms Trade Treaty that will help prevent the irresponsible trade in conventional weapons. The Department is an active member of the cross-Whitehall team led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that is taking forward this work within the United Nations. The cross-Whitehall team maintains a dialogue with the defence industry through regular stakeholder group meetings. During 2009 this work will support the UN process, which is considering elements that might be included in an eventual legally binding treaty.

Defence Intelligence Staff

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the size of the Defence Intelligence Staff was in each year since 1997.

Quentin Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 15 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1384W, to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker), which provides the size of the Defence intelligence staff (DIS) for the years 1997 to 2006. The information for subsequent years is: April 2007—4,748; April 2008—4,308 staff; and is forecast as 4,365 staff for April 2009.

Defence: Industry

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on measures to retain  (a) skills and  (b) employees vital to the defence industry in the current economic climate;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the economic climate on the defence industry, with particular reference to the industry's capacity to  (a) retain skilled workers and  (b) meet procurement deadlines.

Quentin Davies: The Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) promotes a sustainable and competitive UK defence industrial base. This ensures the retention of the specialist skills necessary to deliver the capabilities needed by our armed forces. Defence Ministers have regular discussions with representatives from the defence industry both individually and in the forum of the National Defence Industries Council on a wide range of issues including the effect of the current economic climate on the industry.

Departmental Catering

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2009,  Official Report, column 486W, on departmental catering, which ethically traded products the defence food services integrated project team has introduced; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: Ethically traded products purchased by defence food services integrated project team, which is responsible for the procurement of food for the armed services on operations and on exercises overseas, are set out in the following list:
	90 per cent. of tea and coffee from fair trade sources
	100 per cent. of pork from British sources
	100 per cent. of milk from British sources
	100 per cent. of eggs from British sources
	100 per cent. of whole gammons from British sources
	100 per cent. of fish from managed sources

Departmental Catering

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2009,  Official Report, column 486W, on departmental catering, what recommendations the Sustainability Working Group has made on the procurement of Fairtrade goods for use in  (a) his Department's London headquarters and  (b) the military establishment; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: The Sustainability Working Group was established within the Defence Food Service Integrated Project Team (DFS IPT) to identify opportunities to extend sustainable procurement of food for the armed services on operations and on exercises overseas. The procurement of catering for MOD's London headquarters and for all military establishments is therefore outside the scope of the Working Group.
	Where, however, the DFS IPT identifies Fairtrade products that meet MOD quality requirements and offer value for money, they may be listed on the core range of products supplied for operational feeding to UK armed forces personnel "in barracks" not covered by the Pay As You Dine programme.
	Catering in MOD's London headquarters is provided as part of a multi-activity contract. An extensive range of Fairtrade products is available that includes all coffee served in the deli bar, coffee bar and in the vending machines. A range of other Fairtrade beverages, fruit juices, snack bars and cakes is also available.
	For those military establishments where catering is provided through the Pay As You Dine programme, or as part of a multi-activity contract, the catering contractor may choose to offer Fairtrade products as part of his strategy, although the requirement does not specify that he must. There are a wide variety of such contracts in place across the Department and information on Fairtrade products on offer is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Financial Penalties

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any administrative financial penalties may be levied by his Department and its agencies.

Kevan Jones: The MOD and its defence agencies and trading funds have no statutory powers to levy such penalties.

Departmental Procurement

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effects of his Department's procurement practices on British defence manufacturers.

Quentin Davies: MOD procurement practices are designed to ensure that our armed forces have the best equipment available while at the same time ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. The defence industrial strategy recognises the crucial role that the UK defence industry plays in delivery of capability to the front line and promotes a sustainable and globally competitive UK defence industrial base. Defence Ministers have regular discussions with representatives from the defence industry both individually and in the forum of the National Defence Industries Council.

EU Battlegroups

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to paragraph 90 of the Explanatory Memorandum of 11 December 2008 on the French Presidency Report on European Security and Defence Policy, European Union Document No. 16686/08,  (a) how many troops and  (b) what military assets the UK has contributed to the Force Catalogue.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2348W.

Ex-servicemen: Military Decorations

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Veteran's Badges have been issued to residents of Bolton.

Kevan Jones: According to our records, a total of 1,679 veterans who have applied giving Bolton as part of their address, have been issued with HM Armed Forces Veterans Badge.

HMS Endurance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what reports he has received of the recent flooding incident on HMS Endurance; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has for transporting HMS Endurance to the United Kingdom; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such transportation;
	(3)  when he expects repairs to HMS Endurance to be completed; and when he expects HMS Endurance to be operational.

Quentin Davies: Ministers were notified of the flooding incident in HMS Endurance's engine room on 16 December 2008 and officials have kept us informed of the situation to date.
	A contract has now been signed with Dockwise who will return HMS Endurance to the UK by the heavy lift vessel MV Target. It is currently estimated that the ship will return to the UK around 20 March 2009, weather permitting. Subject to detailed survey, our intention is that the ship will then be repaired prior to her return to service at a date yet to be agreed. I am withholding the cost of the heavy lift contract and the projected repair costs as they are commercially sensitive.

Service Accommodation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps the Government have taken to improve service accommodation.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 9 February 2009
	In addition to the increased investment in service accommodation in recent years, over £8 billion will be spent in the next decade, including some £3 billion on improving and upgrading accommodation. The MOD is restrained in much of the work on SFA by the contract with Annington Homes signed in 1996.
	Since 2003, some 29,000 new or improved single living accommodation bed-spaces have been delivered with a further 30,000 planned by 2013.
	Regarding service family accommodation (SFA), over 13,000 properties have been upgraded to the highest standard for condition since 2001, with a further 600 planned in this financial year (FY) and 800 in each year thereafter.
	In addition to upgrading SFA, around £32 million was spent in FY 2007-08 on improvements such as new kitchens or bathrooms, improving the quality of life for service families.

Service Personnel: Retention

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are being taken to increase levels of retention of service personnel.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 9 February 2009
	Taking the armed forces as a whole, retention rates are relatively stable and we have seen no unexplained peaks of personnel leaving in the last 10 years. There is real concern, however, that in some important areas exit rates are too high and appear to be increasing, if only slightly, year on year. These pinch point trades are continuously monitored and specific action is taken to improve retention and indeed recruitment. The recent Command Paper (July 2008) set out over 40 measures aimed at addressing many of the disadvantages of service life while the Government's response to the Report of Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces has now been presented to Parliament detailing how we have accepted the majority of recommendations. In addition, a wide range of measures are in place to improve retention, including career management, improvement to conditions of service and work/life balance, commitment bonuses and targeted financial retention initiatives.

JUSTICE

Bail Accommodation and Support Services

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1554W, on approved premises; how many bail hostels other than those operated by ClearSprings  (a) operate and  (b) are planned to open in (i) Eastbourne and (ii) England.

David Hanson: The properties provided by ClearSprings are not bail hostels. What were known as approved hostels, probation hostels and bail hostels are now approved premises. There are 97 approved premises in England, and four in Wales. None is in Eastbourne, and there are no plans to open one there or to expand the number of approved premises in England or Wales. The core purpose of approved premises is to protect the public from offenders who pose a significant risk of harm, and, at 30 November 2008, only 157 of the 2,205 places were filled by defendants on bail.

Civil Proceedings: Legal Costs

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions wasted costs have been ordered against the defence in Crown courts in each of the last five years; and what the total sum awarded was in each case.

Bridget Prentice: Information on wasted costs orders against the defence in the Crown court and the total sum awarded in each case is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses: Costs

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost was of the 2006 recruitment campaign for a Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses.

Jack Straw: The total cost of the 2006 recruitment campaign for the role of Victims' Commissioner was £96,625.
	The recruitment exercise for the role of Commissioner for Victims and Witnesses was carried out according to the code of practice for public appointments. The recruitment exercise included the use of an executive search agency specialising in public appointments which targeted individuals perceived to be of the right calibre for the role and public advertisements in relevant publications. However, we were not successful in identifying a candidate with all of the appropriate skills necessary for the proposed role and Ministers decided not to appoint.

Coroners: Leicestershire

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average time taken for a coroner to hold a treasure inquest, once requested, was for finds from Leicestershire in 2007; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the longest time taken by a coroner to hold a treasure inquest, once requested, was for cases reported in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice collects statistics on the number of finds under the Treasure Act 1996 reported to coroners in England and Wales during each calendar year, the number of treasure inquests concluded during the year and, of these, the number of verdicts of treasure returned. Information is not collected on the time taken to conduct treasure inquests.
	Informal figures are, however, collated by the British Museum. These show that in 2007, the British Museum requested that coroners in Leicestershire hold seven treasure inquests. An average time taken between the inquests being requested and a verdict being returned is not available because one of these inquests is still ongoing, although the time taken for the other six ranged from 82 days to 515 days. A statistical average based on such a small number of cases would be very volatile and heavily dependent on the particular circumstances of each case.
	The longest time taken by a coroner to hold a treasure inquest for cases reported in 2006, 2007 and 2008 is not yet known from the British Museum figures, because some inquests from each of these years have still not reached a conclusion.

Departmental Public Appointments

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which of the public appointments for which his Department is responsible are due to be  (a) renewed and  (b) filled in the next 24 months; what the (i) remit, (ii) salary, (iii) political restriction, (iv) eligibility requirement and (v) timetable for each appointment is; and what records his Department keeps in respect of such appointments.

Jack Straw: The Ministry of Justice is responsible for 40 public bodies which have over 9,000 members. These appointments are not centrally co-ordinated and therefore the activity required to provide an answer to the question raised exceeds the acceptable cost parameters.
	Ministerial appointments to public bodies are regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in accordance with the Public Appointments Order in Council 2002 and conducted in accordance with the Office of the Commission for Public Appointments Code of Practice. Appointments to these bodies and the records pertaining to them are subject to audit conducted by external auditors engaged by the Commissioner.

Duchy of Cornwall

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the constitutional status of the Duchy of Cornwall; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate that funds the public, charitable and private activities of the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Information Commissioner: Finance

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to announce the Information Commissioner's budget for 2009-10.

Michael Wills: The Information Commissioner is funded by a combination of grant in aid from the Ministry of Justice to pay for his freedom of information responsibilities and notification fees paid direct to the Commissioner by data controllers to pay for his data protection work.
	Discussions are continuing with the Commissioner on the level of his grant in aid for 2009-10. A decision is expected shortly and will be notified to the Commissioner. The final figure will be published in the Main Estimate 2009-10 in April.
	Following consultation last year, secondary legislation will shortly be introduced to Parliament to provide for tiered notification fees payable by data controllers. This will increase the Information Commissioner's funding in line with his estimate of the cost of meeting both his existing and proposed new statutory data protection responsibilities. The tiered notification fees will come into effect from October this year.

Magistrates Courts: Closures

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 1125-6W, on magistrates' courts at Lyndhurst, for what reason any closure of Lyndhurst magistrates' court would be temporary; what criteria would be used to decide when to re-open it following such a temporary closure; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: As part of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), HMCS Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (HMCS HIOW) has to make efficiency savings over the next three years. The proposal to close Lyndhurst temporarily and transfer its work to Southampton, a modern purpose- built magistrates court is one of a series of measures identified by local management to improve efficiency and reduce the running costs of the area during this period.
	No decision has yet been made but consideration will be given to the needs of those who live and work in the New Forest area and their ability to access justice.
	A decision to re-open a court following temporary closure would depend on the prevailing factors at that time. All decisions to close individual courts permanently are for Ministers.

Magistrates Courts: Wisbech

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans HM Courts Service has for Wisbech magistrates court.

Bridget Prentice: Wisbech magistrates court is a two criminal court room building in an accessible part of Wisbech. The building is co-located alongside the local police station (Cambridgeshire Constabulary) and its custody suite which is accessed by the courthouse. Cambridgeshire Constabulary are the tenants of HMCS. Many of the building services are linked to the adjacent police station. The courthouse has the use of two cells under a shared arrangement with the police and the Prisoner Escort Service (PECS). Recently Cambridgeshire Constabulary has made public its intention to move custody arrangements to a new county facility in March, Cambridgeshire from the end of March 2009 and will no longer provide this at Wisbech police station. The Wisbech police station will remain as an operational unit. HMCS have been actively involved in discussions with both the Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the PECs delivery organisation (GSL) as to how HMCS can ensure practical occupation of the cell area in order for the HMCS business to continue to operate as usual. Without the use of an available and suitable on-site custody suite the use of the courthouse would be considerably reduced which is why the local HMCS area has been working proactively alongside both Cambridgeshire Constabulary and PECs to resolve this situation successfully. There are no current plans or proposals to change or reduce the use of this courthouse.

Mass Media

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of his Department's contracts with press monitoring services was in each year since it was established.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice was created in May 2007. The cost for press monitoring services in 2007-08 was £103,385.63.
	Media monitoring services include clippings of newspaper articles on subjects relevant to the Department that are compiled on a daily basis and summaries of broadcast news programmes throughout the day. It is important to monitor the climate of opinion so policy development can take place in the fullest context. Media monitoring is one way to do this and also provides useful instant feedback on policy announcements.
	In common with other Government Departments of a similar size, the Ministry of Justice also monitors a wide range of media to ensure Government policy is reported accurately to the public to enable clear understanding of the work of Government and that inaccuracies are spotted and corrected.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter of 22 December 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. I. Laing.

Jack Straw: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 30 January. I am sorry for the delay in replying.

National Identity: Languages

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the United Kingdom has an official language.

Michael Wills: The UK does not have an official language defined in statute, although English is the predominant language by custom and usage. In addition, under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages the UK Government have recognised Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Scots, Ulster Scots and Cornish as minority languages within the UK.

Offenders: Personal Records

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 918W, on offenders: personal records, whether the Offenders Index is updated regularly; and when it was last updated.

David Hanson: The Department no longer uses the Offenders Index to provide routine data on reoffending and criminal history. We are currently analysing the final cohorts of offenders extracted from the Offenders Index which are based on data up to December 2006. The Ministry of Justice has no plan for further updates.
	Since 2005, the Ministry of Justice has been using data extracted from its police national computer database to provide the published figures on reoffending. This database is updated weekly.

Reoffenders

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average adult reoffending rate was for  (a) men and  (b) women ex-prisoners after their release in the last five years for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The following table shows the one-year reoffending rates for offenders leaving custody in the first quarter of the years 2002 to 2006, by gender. The table shows the proportion of offenders who committed at least one further offence and the number of further offences committed per 100 offenders.
	
		
			  One-year reoffending rates, offenders leaving custody by gender, 2002-06 
			 Number of offenders  Actual reoffending rate (Percentage)  Number of offences per 100 offenders 
			 Males 2002 Q1 14,385 55.0 283.8 
			  2003 Q1 13,202 53.9 276.8 
			  2004 Q1 14,359 51.8 249.9 
			  2005 Q1 13,353 49.1 227.0 
			  2006 Q1 13,178 46.6 207.5 
			   
			 Females 2002 Q1 1,193 55.8 340.9 
			  2003 Q1 1,156 54.1 305.1 
			  2004 Q1 1,402 53.7 285.2 
			  2005 Q1 1,242 49.1 244.8 
			  2006 Q1 1,202 45.0 218.6 
		
	
	Further information on the one-year rates of reoffending can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm

Reparation by Offenders

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many reparation orders under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 have been issued by each court in each year since 2005.

Maria Eagle: The available information is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of reparation orders( 1)  issued in England and Wales by court type and force area, 2005-07 
			   Year/court type 
			   2005  2006 
			   Magistrates court  Crown court  Total  Magistrates court  Crown court  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 61 — 61 74 — 74 
			 Bedfordshire 8 — 8 16 — 16 
			 Cambridgeshire 28 1 29 40 — 40 
			 Cheshire 36 — 36 16 — 16 
			 Cleveland 45 — 45 49 — 49 
			 Cumbria 8 — 8 4 — 4 
			 Derbyshire 44 — 44 39 — 39 
			 Devon and Cornwall 86 — 86 98 1 99 
			 Dorset 35 — 35 34 — 34 
			 Durham 41 — 41 67 — 67 
			 Essex 51 — 51 69 — 69 
			 Gloucestershire 8 — 8 14 — 14 
			 Greater Manchester 190 1 191 212 2 214 
			 Hampshire 68 — 68 48 — 48 
			 Hertfordshire 45 — 45 64 — 64 
			 Humberside 125 — 125 118 — 118 
			 Kent 88 — 88 114 — 114 
			 Lancashire 100 — 100 160 — 160 
			 Leicestershire 44 — 44 66 — 66 
			 Lincolnshire 16 — 16 29 — 29 
			 Merseyside 80 — 80 90 — 90 
			 Metropolitan Police 202 1 203 311 2 313 
			 Norfolk 26 — 26 70 1 71 
			 North Yorkshire 69 — 69 55 — 55 
			 Northamptonshire — — —- — — — 
			 Northumbria 429 — 429 479 — 479 
			 Nottinghamshire 152 — 152 162 1 163 
			 South Yorkshire 130 — 130 168 — 168 
			 Staffordshire 70 — 70 88 — 88 
			 Suffolk 87 — 87 86 — 86 
			 Surrey 70 — 70 69 — 69 
			 Sussex 89 — 89 144 — 144 
			 Thames Valley 74 — 74 85 — 85 
			 Warwickshire 34 — 34 63 — 63 
			 West Mercia 41 — 41 41 — 41 
			 West Midlands 116 — 116 96 — 96 
			 West Yorkshire 185 — 185 170 — 170 
			 Wiltshire 16 — 16 33 — 33 
			 Dyfed-Powys 5 — 5 6 — 6 
			 Gwent 45 3 48 47 — 47 
			 North Wales 52 — 52 69 — 69 
			 South Wales 112 — 112 75 — 75 
			 Total 3,211 6 3,217 3,738 7 3,745 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of reparation orders( 1)  issued in England and Wales by court type and force area, 2005-07 
			   Year/court type 
			   2007 
			   Magistrates court  Crown court  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 87 — 87 
			 Bedfordshire 22 — 22 
			 Cambridgeshire 49 — 49 
			 Cheshire 21 — 21 
			 Cleveland 49 — 49 
			 Cumbria 9 — 9 
			 Derbyshire 40 — 40 
			 Devon and Cornwall 97 — 97 
			 Dorset 53 — 53 
			 Durham 91 — 91 
			 Essex 56 — 56 
			 Gloucestershire 33 — 33 
			 Greater Manchester 295 — 295 
			 Hampshire 56 — 56 
			 Hertfordshire 56 — 56 
			 Humberside 134 — 134 
			 Kent 134 — 134 
			 Lancashire 177 — 177 
			 Leicestershire 63 — 63 
			 Lincolnshire 20 — 20 
			 Merseyside 106 — 106 
			 Metropolitan Police 316 1 317 
			 Norfolk 72 — 72 
			 North Yorkshire 50 — 50 
			 Northamptonshire 56 — 56 
			 Northumbria 491 — 491 
			 Nottinghamshire 157 — 157 
			 South Yorkshire 147 — 147 
			 Staffordshire 88 — 88 
			 Suffolk 80 — 80 
			 Surrey 66 — 66 
			 Sussex 183 — 183 
			 Thames Valley 81 1 82 
			 Warwickshire 82 — 82 
			 West Mercia 50 — 50 
			 West Midlands 85 — 85 
			 West Yorkshire 197 — 197 
			 Wiltshire 17 — 17 
			 Dyfed-Powys 5 — 5 
			 Gwent 44 — 44 
			 North Wales 66 — 66 
			 South Wales 71 1 72 
			 Total 4,052 3 4,055 
			 (1) Reparation orders are only given to young offenders aged under 18  Notes: 1. The statistics given are on a principal offence and primary disposal basis. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences the offences selected are the offences for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe A defendant could be issued with more than one disposal for a committed offence. The statistics do not include number of reparation orders given as secondary disposal. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit [Ref IOS 86-09]

Repossession Orders: Mortgages

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many suspended possession orders granted by county courts to mortgage lenders were re-activated and enforced during 2008 in cases where lenders obtained warrants for eviction after  (a) three,  (b) six and (c) 10 years or more had elapsed since the original possession order was made in a suspended form;
	(2)  for what reasons HM Courts Service automatically disposes of all court records of suspended possession orders after six years of inactivity.

Bridget Prentice: There were 866 cases which involved a warrant of possession being issued in 2008 and which followed the original suspended mortgage possession order being made three to five years previously. There were also 103 cases which involved a warrant of possession being issued in 2008 and which followed the original suspended mortgage possession order being made 6-10 years previously.
	The Ministry of Justice does not currently hold statistical information relating to lags between suspended mortgage possession orders made and warrants of possession issues of more than 10 years.
	These figures do not indicate the number of homes actually being repossessed. Issuing a warrant of possession does not necessarily result in repossession.
	HM Courts Service automatically disposes of all possession action files including those involving suspended possession orders after three years' inactivity. Electronic records specifying the incidence and associated dates of suspended possession orders are still available for orders made within the last 10 years. However, record retention and disposition policies do not affect the enforcement of suspended possession orders. It is the duty of claimants to supply the order documents when applying for a warrant of possession to be issued.
	Record retention and disposition policies fall within the remit of the Departmental Records Officer and Head of Record Information and Management Services for the Ministry of Justice. Retention periods are determined by (a) any legislative requirement and (b) the business need of the area to which the schedule relates. No special provisions are made for the retention and disposal of records involving suspended possession orders.

Repossession Orders: Yorkshire and the Humber

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many court orders have been issued for the repossession of homes in each parliamentary constituency in Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last 20 years; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: Figures for each parliamentary constituency in Yorkshire and Humberside region are not available. However, the following tables show the number of mortgage and landlord possession orders made in each county court within Yorkshire and Humberside Government office region.
	The civil procedure rules state that all claims for the repossession of land must be commenced in the district in which the land is situated. However, county courts in the Yorkshire and Humberside Government office region may cover areas other than the parliamentary constituencies of this region. Therefore not all possession actions at these courts necessarily relate to Yorkshire and Humber constituencies.
	Court level statistics on mortgage and landlord repossession actions from 1987 to 2007 are available on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.iustice.gov.uk/publications/mortgatelandlord possession.htm
	These figures do not indicate how many homes have actually been repossessed. Repossessions can occur without a court order being made, while not all court orders result in repossession.
	
		
			  Table 1: Mortgage( 1)  possession claims issued in the county courts of Yorkshire and Humberside Government office region, 1988 onwards 
			   1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998 
			 Barnsley 319 375 417 500 392 331 274 248 315 230 342 
			 Bradford 761 942 1,171 1,665 1,182 996 864 870 967 782 987 
			 Bridlington* 32 27 114 120 110 106 91 103 107 79 — 
			 Dewsbury 418 339 471 767 526 402 361 423 371 347 426 
			 Doncaster 564 478 594 826 571 445 482 471 560 541 652 
			 Goole* 66 50 91 135 96 82 97 122 76 — — 
			 Grimsby 562 447 954 1,028 649 505 436 486 477 470 512 
			 Halifax 468 290 394 649 551 390 425 370 372 338 368 
			 Harrogate 0 113 244 407 338 249 184 200 184 157 163 
			 Huddersfield 223 198 382 442 457 341 331 370 334 307 414 
			 Keighley 173 174 296 372 268 206 210 169 168 154 223 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 596 750 904 1,268 822 721 720 640 685 589 743 
			 Leeds 807 903 1,068 1,463 1,146 937 831 761 896 816 903 
			 Otley* 77 62 119 188 129 124 101 83 — — — 
			 Pontefract 287 241 311 423 286 276 276 242 250 247 264 
			 Rotherham 448 346 523 675 483 413 325 289 345 231 337 
			 Scarborough 128 101 177 271 198 137 129 149 117 140 359 
			 Scunthorpe 159 171 359 455 285 231 239 215 243 364 224 
			 Sheffield 492 664 889 1,211 847 810 632 543 562 533 600 
			 Skipton 72 79 104 175 127 113 93 125 119 92 107 
			 Thorne* 72 68 90 163 102 63 — — — — — 
			 Wakefield 253 194 257 366 259 223 160 191 171 173 217 
			 York 327 368 505 577 456 346 358 332 330 291 368 
			 
			 Yorkshire and Humber GOR 7,304 7,380 10,434 14,146 10,280 8,447 7,619 7,402 7,649 6,881 8,209 
			 Other HMCS North East region 4283 3,894 4,243 5,952 5,192 3,969 3,236 3,264 3,493 3,015 4,298 
			 HMCS North East region total 11,587 11,274 14,677 20,098 15,472 12,416 10,855 10,666 11,142 9,896 12,507 
		
	
	
		
			   1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  (Jan-Sep)( 2) 
			 Barnsley 348 314 247 263 220 255 407 521 615 570 
			 Bradford 1,105 1,000 927 802 770 763 1,099 1,235 1,437 1,342 
			 Bridlington* — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Dewsbury 481 391 370 300 293 363 552 671 735 698 
			 Doncaster 702 652 616 514 458 550 847 1,195 1,389 1,087 
			 Goole* — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Grimsby 555 495 429 399 333 405 630 670 749 599 
			 Halifax 466 351 340 280 252 304 419 510 585 529 
			 Harrogate 187 164 155 118 133 156 233 232 205 160 
			 Huddersfield 424 363 319 272 240 289 446 533 545 543 
			 Keighley 227 187 153 142 145 155 213 241 308 264 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 800 704 632 534 529 579 833 1,011 1,181 956 
			 Leeds 843 773 743 678 661 708 1,078 1,258 1,520 1,328 
			 Otley* — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Pontefract 298 266 230 206 197 255 475 534 617 572 
			 Rotherham 436 381 302 277 258 284 484 615 704 672 
			 Scarborough 255 225 244 151 156 195 292 350 441 359 
			 Scunthorpe 284 219 246 217 212 240 380 448 484 450 
			 Sheffield 632 625 536 481 478 509 863 997 1,181 972 
			 Skipton 99 76 95 67 63 51 85 105 133 105 
			 Thorne* — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Wakefield 266 232 189 149 166 204 342 373 418 364 
			 York 388 341 300 240 303 291 405 463 510 440 
			
			 Yorkshire and Humber GOR 8,796 7,759 7,073 6,090 5,867 6,556 10,083 11,962 13,757 12,010 
			 Other HMCS North East region 3,964 3,958 3,463 3,245 3,055 3,441 5,540 7,079 8,061 7,028 
			 HMCS North East region total 12,760 11,717 10,536 9,335 8,922 9,997 15,623 19,041 21,818 19,038 
			 (1) Mortgage data include all types of lender. (2) Figures for the latest year are provisional. * County court closed or merged with other county courts. Source: Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Mortgage( 1)  possession orders made( 3,4)  in the county courts of Yorkshire and Humberside Government office region, 1988 onwards 
			   1988  1989  1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998 
			 Barnsley 218 199 242 407 337 292 285 240 249 166 182 
			 Bradford 241 313 716 1048 970 1141 561 639 821 771 967 
			 Bridlington* 37 32 93 111 77 111 82 99 98 53 — 
			 Dewsbury(5) 287 179 378 521 588 516 261 344 276 307 448 
			 Doncaster 313 335 415 589 548 343 328 362 428 476 507 
			 Goole* 52 21 69 118 101 78 86 114 73 — — 
			 Grimsby 391 379 546 824 579 522 457 362 516 319 582 
			 Halifax(5) 249 225 442 565 469 294 279 389 384 282 341 
			 Harrogate(5) 26 87 112 254 330 213 142 195 148 123 144 
			 Huddersfield 109 100 362 451 548 296 321 277 338 277 343 
			 Keighley(5) 134 102 208 283 247 181 148 149 164 115 166 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 430 421 547 1,400 556 538 476 390 531 378 779 
			 Leeds 726 350 531 1,101 854 759 463 497 684 752 707 
			 Otley* 47 42 66 142 94 95 66 71 — — — 
			 Pontefract(5) 211 137 221 311 264 189 192 168 138 216 295 
			 Rotherham(5) 314 236 336 503 426 333 236 304 299 306 392 
			 Scarborough 75 68 125 173 170 128 92 132 85 127 185 
			 Scunthorpe(5) 114 110 241 277 272 196 237 155 263 158 194 
			 Sheffield 497 324 545 797 649 517 285 497 389 398 516 
			 Skipton 54 53 71 123 127 107 56 73 75 84 88 
			 Thorne* 36 33 52 132 91 81 — — — — — 
			 Wakefield(5) 247 114 162 259 232 186 147 132 190 221 177 
			 York 238 193 314 455 405 316 274 237 253 258 355 
			 
			 Yorkshire and Humber GOR 5,046 4,053 6,794 10,844 8,934 7,432 5,474 5,826 6,402 5,787 7,368 
			 Other HMCS North East region 3,112 2,521 3,011 4,815 5,309 4,361 3,553 3,129 3,202 2,551 3,469 
			 HMCS North East region total 8,158 6,574 9,805 15,659 14,243 11,793 9,027 8,955 9,604 8,338 10,837 
		
	
	—continued
	
		
			   1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  (Jan-Sep)( 2) 
			 Barnsley 278 251 198 188 148 160 268 351 435 423 
			 Bradford 814 769 732 590 543 500 679 825 935 987 
			 Bridlington* — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Dewsbury(5) 426 323 325 230 197 256 336 497 — — 
			 Doncaster 380 523 465 376 324 331 540 819 982 882 
			 Goole* — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Grimsby 281 385 390 271 223 236 431 515 524 498 
			 Halifax(5) 380 270 297 198 193 161 274 362 — — 
			 Harrogate(5) 127 128 115 77 63 90 157 169 — — 
			 Huddersfield 322 278 274 178 163 174 317 385 370 376 
			 Keighley(5) 172 164 101 115 83 91 127 169 — — 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 703 553 508 414 353 390 559 705 835 688 
			 Leeds 684 611 600 437 448 410 682 876 1,049 997 
			 Otley* — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Pontefract(5) 260 197 190 137 156 159 276 375 — — 
			 Rotherham(5) 347 297 262 189 185 191 304 431 — — 
			 Scarborough 219 152 187 106 88 119 184 227 309 289 
			 Scunthorpe(5) 218 152 233 158 145 150 250 335 — — 
			 Sheffield 496 451 359 299 295 303 446 738 803 734 
			 Skipton 72 64 66 46 42 41 52 73 95 92 
			 Thorne* — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Wakefield(5) 172 167 157 119 97 157 199 297 — — 
			 York 299 267 221 139 172 172 268 333 338 298 
			
			 Yorkshire and Humber GOR 6,650 6,002 5,680 4,267 3,918 4,091 6,349 8,482 — — 
			 Other HMCS North East region 3,305 3,216 2,935 2,249 2,088 2,145 3,290 5,128 — — 
			 HMCS North East region total 9,955 9,218 8,615 6,516 6,006 6,236 9,639 13,610 15,087 13,178 
			  Notes: (1) Mortgage data include all types of lender. (2) Figures for the latest year are provisional. (3) The court, following a judicial hearing, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. (4) Includes outright and suspended orders, the latter being where the court grants the claimant possession but suspends the operation of the order. Provided the defendant complies with the terms of suspension, which usually require the defendant to pay the current mortgage or rent instalments plus some of the accrued arrears, the possession order cannot be enforced. (5) The rollout of the Possession Claim On-Line (PCOL) system in late 2006 has affected the availability of court-level data. Only those county courts who do not have direct on site access to PCOL were affected. Consequently, upward adjustment has been made to estimate the effects of missing data. The figures for these courts are adjusted at HMCS regional level. * County court closed or merged with other county courts.  Source: Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Landlord( 1, 3 ) possession claims issued and orders made( 4, 6)  in the county courts of Yorkshire and Humberside region, 19997 onwards 
			   1999  2000  2001  2002  2003 
			   Claims issued  Orders made  Claims issued  Orders made  Claims issued  Orders made  Claims issued  Orders made  Claims issued  Orders made 
			 Barnsley 472 368 498 378 420 379 577 427 595 448 
			 Bradford 1,085 731 1,166 940 1,251 944 1,202 872 949 761 
			 Dewsbury(5) 658 538 691 610 710 637 672 523 819 654 
			 Doncaster 904 752 759 707 817 699 1,085 889 1,077 917 
			 Grimsby 304 171 312 167 263 218 384 277 427 312 
			 Halifax(5) 395 310 463 325 452 308 569 386 626 442 
			 Harrogate(5) 215 185 210 178 215 164 179 145 181 119 
			 Huddersfield 557 492 551 484 648 532 683 543 687 550 
			 Keighley(5) 169 122 152 128 155 138 153 121 131 100 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 1,691 944 1,699 862 1,544 938 2,534 1,654 2,025 1,208 
			 Leeds 1,306 1,110 2,078 1,508 2,862 2,587 2,056 1,831 1,155 767 
			 Pontefract(5) 288 258 354 317 306 274 287 246 247 219 
			 Rotherham(5) 394 325 529 348 757 606 774 658 795 614 
			 Scarborough 442 300 402 289 443 339 371 300 357 286 
			 Scunthorpe(5) 574 276 622 374 533 511 532 422 492 429 
			 Sheffield 2,664 1,704 2,271 1,601 2,321 1,553 2,808 2,245 2,334 1,592 
			 Skipton 47 32 62 53 70 66 78 57 95 69 
			 Wakefield(5) 268 216 256 266 279 258 267 180 286 245 
			 York 758 605 739 558 689 554 838 632 711 521 
			
			 Yorkshire and Humber GOR 13,191 9,439 13,814 10,093 14,735 11,705 16,049 12,408 13,989 10,253 
			 Other HMCS North East region 9,042 6,674 8,387 6,705 7,915 6,182 8,959 6,733 8,819 6,521 
			 HMCS North East region total 22,233 16,113 22,201 16,798 22,650 17,887 25,008 19,141 22,808 16,774 
		
	
	
		
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 (Jan-Sep)( 2) 
			   Claims issued  Orders made  Claims issued  Orders made  Claims issued  Orders made  Claims issued  Orders made  Claims issued  Orders made 
			 Barnsley 585 454 688 498 744 536 600 509 423 382 
			 Bradford 1,039 920 1,020 843 934 791 790 595 401 355 
			 Dewsbury(5) 789 596 720 605 461 378 552 — 394 — 
			 Doncaster 1,034 903 814 764 876 719 809 769 592 580 
			 Grimsby 469 364 361 309 424 322 483 536 310 264 
			 Halifax(5) 495 414 494 377 485 333 449 — 274 — 
			 Harrogate(5) 172 125 174 141 184 148 143 — 150 — 
			 Huddersfield 655 533 725 530 603 478 612 489 393 414 
			 Keighley(5) 148 108 172 153 166 139 169 — 56 — 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 1,520 948 1,448 1,066 1,700 1,122 1,359 1,036 914 714 
			 Leeds 1,496 1,060 1,583 1,181 1,215 1,134 1,163 1,002 872 941 
			 Pontefract(5) 399 312 321 281 310 261 277 — 205 — 
			 Rotherham(5) 819 659 614 456 795 594 556 — 321 — 
			 Scarborough 327 229 330 293 360 281 309 285 227 200 
			 Scunthorpe(5) 418 364 389 337 384 309 357 — 294 — 
			 Sheffield 2,486 1,823 2,294 1,724 2,048 1,368 2,012 1,779 1,451 1,671 
			 Skipton 73 62 95 74 59 58 71 55 39 34 
			 Wakefield(5) 358 347 218 175 282 239 279 — 190 — 
			 York 872 588 754 525 677 571 642 513 404 292 
			
			 Yorkshire and Humber GOR 14,154 10,809 13,214 10,332 12,707 9,781 11,632 — 7,910 — 
			 Other HMCS North East region 9,512 6,495 8,244 6,070 8,855 6,120 8,022 — 5,393 — 
			 HMCS North East region total 23,666 17,304 21,458 16,402 21,562 15,901 19,654 15,756 13,303 10,981 
			 (1) Landlord possession data include all types of landlord whether social or private. (2) Figures for the latest year are provisional. (3) Landlord actions include those made under both standard and accelerated procedures. Landlord actions via the accelerated procedure enable the orders to be made solely on the basis of written evidence and shorthold tenancies, when the fixed period of tenancy has come to an end. (4) Includes outright and suspended orders, the latter being where the court grants the claimant possession but suspends the operation of the order. Provided the defendant complies with the terms of suspension, which usually require the defendant to pay the current mortgage or rent instalments plus some of the accrued arrears, the possession order cannot be enforced. (5) The rollout of the Possession Claim On-Line (PCOL) system in late 2006 has affected the availability of court-level data. Only those county courts who do not have direct on site access to PCOL were affected. Consequently, upward adjustment has been made to estimate the effects of missing data. The figures for these courts are adjusted at HMCS regional level.  Notes: The court, following a judicial hearing, may grant an order for possession immediately. This entitles the claimant to apply for a warrant to have the defendant evicted. However, even where a warrant for possession is issued, the parties can still negotiate a compromise to prevent eviction. Court level data are not available for all landlord possession actions prior to 1999.  Source: Ministry of Justice

Road Traffic Offences

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many vehicles have been seized from  (a) disqualified and  (b) uninsured drivers in each of the last two years.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not collected centrally. Available information is held on the Motor Insurance Database maintained by the Motor Insurers' Information Centre and relates to vehicles seized from those reasonably believed to be driving without appropriate insurance. In 2007 there were approximately 150,000 vehicles seized and in 2008 approximately 185,000.

Shoplifting: Fixed Penalties

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to limit shoplifting offences in relation to which a penalty notice for disorder can be issued to first time offences.

Jack Straw: There are already limits on the issue of penalty notices for disorder for shoplifting offences. Operational guidance makes it clear among other things that the disposal will be appropriate for first-time offences and not those who repeatedly offend. However the length of time since a previous shoplifting offence has been committed should be taken in account in considering whether a second penalty notice may be appropriate.
	Following representations form the hon. Lady and from retail organisations, operational guidance covering shoplifting is being reviewed; a revised version will be issued shortly.

Television: Licensing

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in  (a) the ceremonial county of Hampshire,  (b) Test Valley borough and  (c) the City of Southampton were prosecuted for not having a television licence in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of persons proceeded against for television licence evasion in the Hampshire police force area from 2003 to 2007 (latest available), is in the following table.
	From information held centrally, it is not possible to provide borough or city level data.
	These data are on the principal offence basis. The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against for television licence evasion in Hampshire police force area, 2003-07( 1, 2, 3) 
			   Number 
			 2003 1,891 
			 2004 1,889 
			 2005 2,520 
			 2006 2,269 
			 2007 2,269 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The TV licensing provisions of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 were replaced by new provisions in section 363 of the Communications Act 2003 which came into effect 1 April 2004.  Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit, Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Creativity and Business International Network

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what level of financial support he expects the private sector to provide to the Creativity and Business International Network in each of the next three years;
	(2)  how many organisations have agreed to become a strategic partner of the Creativity and Business International Network to date; and when he expects to announce these partnerships.

Andy Burnham: Discussions about financial support from the private sector, including strategic partnerships, are ongoing, and details will be announced in due course.

Creativity and Business International Network

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what offers of support his Department's Creativity and Business International Network has received; and how many organisations have pledged to support the initiative with  (a) technology and equipment and  (b) travel.

Andy Burnham: The Creativity and Business International Network has been offered support from a large number of creative and business organisations, including the commitment of 24 international 'ambassadors'. A range of public sector bodies, trade organisations, businesses and individuals have also offered help and advice.

Departmental Training

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which organisations have provided his Department with media training services in each of the last five years.

Barbara Follett: In each of the last five financial years the following organisations have provided media training services for DCMS.
	 2008-current
	Angela Coles
	 2007-08
	Angela Coles
	 2006-07
	No media training services provided.
	 2005-06
	No media training services provided.
	 2004-05
	No media training services provided.

Heathrow Airport: Listed Buildings

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of listed buildings which will be lost as a result of the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

Barbara Follett: Based upon the information provided by the Department for Transport from its consultation document "Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport" (2007), English Heritage estimates that six listed buildings will be lost as a result of the construction of a third runway at Heathrow airport. The consultation document is available at
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/closed/heathrow consultation/consultationdocument.

Malvern St. James School

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to make a decision on the listing of the Edinburgh Sports Dome at Malvern St. James School.

Barbara Follett: Additional advice had to be sought from English Heritage before the assessment process on the Edinburgh Sports Dome could be completed. Consequently, it did not prove possible to reach a decision by the end of November 2008. The case is given high priority, and the Secretary of State will reach a decision as soon as possible. I will notify the hon. Member as soon as a decision has been made.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 28 January 2008 on behalf of Mr. Richard Cleaver in respect of Pandora Radio, a second copy of which was faxed to his office on 18 June 2008.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 4 February 2009
	I offer the hon. Member an apology for the administrative error in dealing with this correspondence. The issues raised in the letter are the policy responsibility of the Intellectual Property Office, and I understand that a reply will be sent soon from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Memorials: World War II

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Second World War pillboxes have been given statutory designation; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: A total of 148 individual second world war pillboxes have been given statutory designation.

Memorials: World War II

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he has taken to  (a) record and  (b) preserve defence structures from the Second World War; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: The Defence of Britain Project (1995-02) has recorded nearly 20,000 20th century military sites in the United Kingdom, including pillboxes. As well as recording the 20th century militarised landscape of the United Kingdom, the project also informs heritage agencies at local and national level with a view to the future preservation of surviving structures. Full details of the project are at:
	http://www.britarch.ac.uk/cba/projects/dob
	English Heritage has undertaken a series of research projects to improve our understanding of second world war defences in the context of the many other sites that represent our defence heritage. Options for preservation include statutory designation, although it would not be appropriate to designate all of the many thousands of surviving pillboxes—careful selection is necessary. Alternatively, many of these structures have local significance and their recording on local authority Historic Environment Records is another way of improving understanding and protection.

Music: Education

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many mentors have taken part in the music mentoring programme in each of the last three years.

Barbara Follett: The pilot music mentoring programme began in 2006-07 and is led by Youth Music. Youth Music advises that the number of mentors that have taken part in the programme is as set out in the following table.
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Adult mentors 70 70 40 
			 Peer mentors 170 170 50

Music: Education

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people took part in the music mentoring programme in each year since 2006.

Barbara Follett: The pilot music mentoring programme began in 2006-07. This is led by Youth Music and has engaged over 1,000 young people in one to one, small group and large-scale mentoring activity in 14 areas in England. More than 700 positive outcomes have been recorded from the pilot phase, with around 180 of those linked to further education, training or employment or other transferable skills.

Music: North East

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent steps the Government have taken to promote access to music for young people in the north-east.

Barbara Follett: In November 2007, the Department for Children, Schools and Families announced a £332 million investment in music education. A share of that is automatically allocated to local authorities in the north-east. Since September 2005, the Government have also provided time-limited funding of £1.26 million to the Sage Gateshead to work in partnership with local authorities and other music education providers to enhance opportunities for children and young people across the north-east through its 'Access to Excellence' work. A significant proportion of the 'Access to Excellence' programme has been delivered through Redcar Community College.
	Since September 2006, the Department for Children, Schools and Families' Music and Dance Scheme (which provides means-tested support for children with exceptional potential in music and dance) has invested £638, 000 to enable children to access specialist provision via the Sage Gateshead.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides financial support for the arts through Arts Council England which has supported a number of projects that have helped promote music to young people in the north-east. This includes Youth Choir at Brinkburn Music Festival 2008 (Grants for the Arts Award of £22,000); Monumental Music CIC, Sunderland Music Club (Grants for the Arts Award of £13,420); and Interopera (Grants for the Arts Award of £13,420).
	Since 1999, Youth Music, a regularly funded organisation of Arts Council England, has invested £4,583, 071 in the north-east, through open programmes, the Youth Music Action Zone (CoMusica) and the MusicLeader network for the region. Youth Music has provided a further £40,000 of direct investment in the north-east through Sing Up, the Music Manifesto National Singing Programme, of which Youth Music and the Sage Gateshead are partners.
	Support has also been provided via other Arts Council England regularly funded organisations. This includes Jazz Action, which has set up the Milestones Project providing talented young musicians from the north-east with the opportunity to showcase their music in front of a live audience, and Monster Productions, based in the north-east, which run early year musicals throughout the country, including the north-east area.

Newspapers: North East

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department plans to provide financial support to local newspapers in the north-east.

Andy Burnham: My Department has no plans at present to provide financial support to local newspapers in the north-east. The Digital Britain Interim Report, published on 29 January 2009, recognised that at a local level, the challenges for news organisations are intense. One of the actions recommended in the report is for Government to invite the Office of Fair Trading, together with Ofcom and other interested parties, to undertake an exploratory review across the local and regional media sector and make appropriate recommendations. I will consider any findings or further recommendations arising from this action.

Religious Buildings

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of English Heritage's performance in facilitating the conservation of churches and places of worship.

Barbara Follett: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides financial support for the historic environment through English Heritage, which makes funding decisions independently of Government. It is for English Heritage to determine where money is spent depending on its assessment of relative need across the wider historic environment. The Department is satisfied with English Heritage's performance on facilitating the conservation of churches and places of worship.

Sports: Finance

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the value of  (a) awards and  (b) payments made from the New Opportunities Fund for physical education and sport initiatives was in each year since the fund was established.

Barbara Follett: The Big Lottery Fund has indicated that the value of awards and payments made by BIG and its predecessor body, the New Opportunities Fund, for physical education and sport initiatives are shown in the following tables. The figures are UK wide.
	
		
			  Awards Made: 
			   PE and sport in schools (NOPES)  Spaces for sports and arts  School sports coordinators  Community sports programmes  Football foundation  Total value of awards (£ million) 
			 2001-02 0.0 10.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.6 
			 2002-03 36.5 11.8 10.3 0.0 30.0 88.6 
			 2003-04 193.3 0.2 8.9 0.0 0.0 202.4 
			 2004-05 330.6 0.0 7.5 57.1 0.0 395.2 
			 2005-06 66.3 1.6 15.8 23.8 0.0 107.5 
			 2006-07 19.2 0.2 12.0 9.3 0.0 40.7 
			 2007-08 4.9 -0.2 13.1 -0.1 0.0 17.7 
		
	
	
		
			  Payments made 
			   PE and sport in schools (NOPES)  Spaces for sports and arts  School sports co-ordinators  Community sports programmes  Football foundation  Total value of payments (£ million) 
			 2001-02 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 2002-03 1.3 1.8 1.7 0.0 0.0 4.8 
			 2003-04 16.3 8.1 4.9 0.0 3.1 32.4 
			 2004-05 67.2 -0.8 7.1 5.8 5.7 85.0 
			 2005-06 198.1 3.4 13.2 27.2 8.4 250.2 
			 2006-07 172.8 11.6 10.4 24.2 6.7 225.8 
			 2007-08 88.5 0.0 16.3 15.0 6.1 125.9

Sports: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how much his Department has paid to Fast Track to date for its work on the Medal Hopes scheme; and how much he expects to pay in each of the next three years;
	(2)  how much his Department has paid to Fast Track for its work on the Medal Hopes scheme to date; and how much he expects to pay to Fast Track for such work in each of the next three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 February 2009
	 To date, the Department has made no payment to Fast Track, who are contracted on a commission-only basis.

Teachers: Music

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on the scheme to fund professional development of music teachers in each of the last three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I have been asked to reply.
	Since September 2006, when the contract was let, £3.3 million has been spent to develop and deliver a programme of professional development for those working with children at Key Stage 2 in music. This breaks down as follows: £1.1 million in 2006-07, £1.3 million in 2007-08 and £0.9 million to date in 2008-09.

Television: Licensing

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will provide free television licences for poor families.

Andy Burnham: The Government looked at television licence fee concessions for a wide range of groups during the BBC Charter review process. There was little consensus as to who should receive concessions, the criteria on which they should be allocated, or how they should be funded. As a result there were no changes to the existing range of concessions.

Tourism

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what subjects were discussed at his Department's most recent tourism summit; and if he will place a copy in the Library of the minutes of the meeting.

Barbara Follett: There are no official minutes from the Department's most recent tourism summit. However, the transcripts of the Prime Minister's and the Secretary of State's speeches are on Visit Britain's website including a transcript of the question and answer session. Details can be viewed at the following web link:
	http://www.tourismtrade.org.uk/aboutvisitbritain/corporate events/tourismsummit.asp
	Additionally, a number of outcomes stemmed from the summit including:
	VisitBritain to compile a list of the industry's 'top five asks' of Government.
	To explore ideas on a graduate job scheme for tourism and a development bank focused on supporting investment in the tourism industry.
	The establishment of a cross-Whitehall ministerial group on tourism and high-level tourism advisory group, to be chaired by the Minister for Tourism.
	To explore the feasibility of a British City of Culture, potentially every four years.
	To maximise the tourism potential of forthcoming sporting events under the banner of a Decade of Sport.
	Meet with all regional development agencies to discuss the support given to tourism in each region.

Tourism

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when  (a) he and  (b) the Minister for Tourism last met the head of tourism in each of the nine regions of England.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 5 February 2009
	 The Secretary of State and I have met a number of representatives and received various representations from the regional development agencies and from the wider tourism sectors in the regions. Last summer the Secretary of State, Minister for Tourism and Minister for Sport met all the chairs of the regional development agencies and I plan to meet each of the regions in the spring to follow up on the fruitful discussions held at the tourism summit in Liverpool last month.

Tourism

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by  (a) UK tourists visiting overseas destinations and  (b) overseas tourists visiting UK destinations in each of the last 10 financial years.

Barbara Follett: The amounts spent by UK tourists visiting overseas and overseas tourists visiting the UK in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available are as follows(1):
	
		
			  £ million 
			   UK visits overseas  Overseas visits to UK 
			 1998 19,489 12,671 
			 1999 20,020 12,498 
			 2000 24,251 12,805 
			 2001 25,332 11,306 
			 2002 26,962 11,737 
			 2003 28,550 11,855 
			 2004 30,285 13,047 
			 2005 32,154 14,248 
			 2006 34,411 16,002 
			 2007 35,013 15,960 
			  Source: (1) This information was taken from the International Passenger Survey and relates to calendar years.

Tourism

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of global tourism the UK has received in each of the last 10 years.

Barbara Follett: VisitBritain have advised that the percentage of global tourism the UK has received, in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available, is as follows;
	
		
			   UK share of global tourist arrivals (percentage) 
			 1997 3.92 
			 1998 3.88 
			 1999 3.68 
			 2000 3.41 
			 2001 3.08 
			 2002 3.18 
			 2003 3.30 
			 2004 3.37 
			 2005 3.49 
			 2006 3.62 
			 2007 3.40

Tourism

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the wish list his Department has requested from VisitBritain in relation to helping tourism to Britain during the economic downturn.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 5 February 2009
	 VisitBritain has provided some initial thoughts on the industry's main needs, pending its final submission. When it is received, Ministers will give it full consideration with a view to how best to achieve the full potential of tourism to the British economy during the period of the global economic downturn.

Tourism: Greater London

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans his Department has to promote London as a tourist destination over the next 18 months; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: Visit London has advised that it undertakes a range of tourism marketing campaigns to promote the capital internationally, nationally and to Londoners themselves.
	In December last year, Visit London, in partnership with the London Development Agency and the Mayor of London, launched a four-month marketing campaign to stimulate visits to the capital in the build-up to Christmas 2008 and the new year. This will run across the capital's key visitor markets including Britain, Europe and North America and will last until the end of March 2009.
	Including match funding from the private sector, Visit London will in total spend £3.25 million in the four months to March on promotional campaigns, which it believes should deliver £70 million in economic benefit to the city. Further marketing activity to promote the capital beyond the end of March 2009 is due to be launched in February.
	In addition, promotion of London will be included in the £6.5 million 'Value for Money Campaign' launched by VisitBritain and VisitEngland at the tourism summit held in Liverpool on 8 January. This will build on the current domestic and international Enjoy England campaign, which positions England and Britain as good value destinations.

Tourism: Olympic Games 2012

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on additional funding for tourism to harness the marketing opportunities of the Olympics.

Barbara Follett: There have been no direct discussions between DCMS Ministers and HMT on additional funding for tourism to harness marketing opportunities of the Olympics. However HMT has been invited to attend a cross-Whitehall Ministerial Group on Tourism to discuss priorities within the tourism industry.

World Creative Business Conference

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 14 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1210W, on the World Creative Business Conference, how much his Department has paid to  (a) Edelman and  (b) Acclaim to date; and how much he expects to pay each company in each of the next three years.

Andy Burnham: The cost of Edelman and Acclaim is included within the £1 million allocated towards the running of the World Creative Business Conference in each of the next three years, including 2008-09.

World Heritage Sites

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in respect of which World Heritage Sites he has submitted a progress report to the World Heritage Committee for examination at its 2009 session; and on what dates such reports were submitted.

Barbara Follett: My Department has submitted State of Conservation reports to UNESCO's World Heritage Centre for the City of Bath World Heritage Site on 30 January 2009; Edinburgh Old and New Towns World Heritage Site on 30 January 2009; Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site on 30 January 2009; and the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site on 2 February 2009.

World Heritage Sites

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which World Heritage Sites he expects to be considered by the World Heritage Committee for inclusion on its list of world heritage in danger in 2009.

Barbara Follett: My Department has no plans to put forward any UK World Heritage Sites for consideration by the World Heritage Committee for inclusion on the World Heritage in Danger List in 2009.

OLYMPICS

CompeteFor

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether there was an open tender process for the CompeteFor website contract.

Tessa Jowell: The London Development Agency used an existing list of approved companies who had successfully tendered for selection on the Office of Government Commerce's Catalist Framework for CompeteFor. The OGC framework is itself developed through an open competitive process. Its framework agreements are let using an Official Journal of the European Union procurement process that shortlists suppliers by category, which any business can tender for, and which helps to speed up the procurement process.

Departmental Lobbying

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether she received representations from ( a) Lord Moonie,  (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn,  (c) Lord Snape and  (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months.

Tessa Jowell: I have received no representations from any of the noble Lords in question.

Departmental Manpower

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many officials work directly for her.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 3 February 2009
	In my Private Office I have five officials and a special adviser.
	In addition, the Government Olympic Executive which reports to me through the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, comprises 87.3 full-time equivalent staff, a total which includes both established civil servants and agency and interim staff.

Departmental Manpower

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the job description is of each official who works for her in her capacity as Minister for the Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 5 February 2009
	My Private Office comprises five officials and a special adviser. In addition, the Government Olympic Executive (GOE) which reports to me through the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, comprises 87.3 full-time equivalent staff, a total which includes both established civil servants and agency and interim staff.
	The GOE is responsible for ensuring the Games are delivered on time, on budget and to the benefit of the whole of the UK. It works extensively with other organisations, such as the London Organising Committee (LOCOG) and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), providing important oversight, management and accountability for the games as a whole. GOE is the only body overseeing the entire Olympic project.
	There are five teams within GOE:
	Build and finance—responsible for ensuring the delivery of the Games infrastructure and venues remains on time, and that the whole programme remains on budget and provides value for money;
	Staging—responsible for the myriad Government commitments and legislative changes necessary to host the world's largest sporting event and assurance of LOCOG's plans and finances in Government's role as funder of last resort;
	Legacy—responsible for ensuring that the Government's ambitious legacy commitments are delivered, including getting 2 million people more active, transforming the heart of east London and inspiring a generation of young people;
	Operations—responsible for overseeing the entire Olympic Project, identifying risks and issues across organisations, managing the Olympic Board and ensuring we are accountable to Parliament and the public; and
	Communications—a small team responsible for working across Government to ensure events and activities are co-ordinated to avoid duplication and wasted resource.
	Job descriptions for each official in my Private Office and in the GOE could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Olympic Games 2012: Facilities

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the average cost is of the units being built in the Olympic Village.

Tessa Jowell: Confidential commercial negotiations are continuing about the costs of the various elements of the Olympic Village. Therefore it is not possible to provide build cost information until those negotiations have concluded.

Olympic Games 2012: Facilities

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much private sector funding for construction of the Olympic Village she expects.

Tessa Jowell: Confidential commercial negotiations are ongoing between the Olympic Delivery Authority, the preferred developer, Lend Lease, banks and Registered Social Landlords regarding investment for the Olympic Village. Therefore it is not possible to provide detail of the investment arrangements until those negotiations have concluded.

Olympic Games 2012: Facilities

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what discussions she has had with  (a) the Mayor of London and  (b) universities over proposals for the legacy use of the Olympics media centre as a university.

Tessa Jowell: My Department is working closely with the Mayor, the London Development Agency, London borough of Hackney and other partners to explore proposals for the legacy use of the International Broadcast Centre/Main Press Centre (IBC/MPC) to ensure that we are able to leave a positive sustainable legacy for the site and for local communities. As part of this work programme, we are working with the Greater London Authority, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Higher Education Funding Council for England to undertake a feasibility study on the need, size, scope and specialisms for a potential new university on the IBC/MPC site, or elsewhere on the Park, as part of the legacy planning for the Park site.

Olympic Games 2012: Waste Disposal

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for the Olympics which sites have been used for disposal of materials and soil from the new Olympic stadium site in London; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 4 February 2009
	In the construction of the Olympic Park, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) will transform a previously contaminated site into an integral part of the long-term regeneration of east London and the wider Thames Gateway. Across the whole site the ODA continues to exceed its 90 per cent. target of reclaiming demolition material for reuse or recycling.
	Where possible, all excavation and demolition waste from the Olympic stadium site is treated at source and the cleansed material, where appropriate, reused or recycled in the landscaping and foundations work of the Olympic Park.
	Where this has not been possible, waste material has been transported off-site for landfill disposal at Environment Agency approved sites across the UK. The locations of those sites are:
	Kings Cliff, Cambridgeshire (Augean Kings Cliff)
	Dudley, West Midlands (Himley Quarry)
	Teesside, North Yorkshire (Impetus Waste Management ICI 3)
	Barling Magna, Essex (Barling Landfill)
	Purton, North Wiltshire (Parkgate Farm Landfill)
	Middlesbrough, Cleveland (Augean Middlesbrough)
	In addition, a small amount of arisings from the stadium site were identified in summer 2008 as containing—or potentially containing—asbestos above the agreed levels. This waste was taken off-site for safe disposal to Powerday landfill facilities at Old Oak Sidings in London.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Assets Recovery Agency

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) on the continuation of work undertaken by the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) in Northern Ireland; and what steps he is taking to ensure that casework initiated by the ARA in Northern Ireland is taken up by SOCA.

Paul Goggins: As chair of the Organised Crime Task Force I receive regular updates on the assets recovery work of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) in Northern Ireland. Since the merger in April 2008 SOCA has adopted, and will continue to adopt, new civil recovery cases in Northern Ireland. Civil recovery is one of a number of tools at SOCA's disposal to tackle criminal finances and profits and it will ensure that the most effective and appropriate asset recovery powers (criminal, civil or tax) are used in each case.

Civil Proceedings: Legal Costs

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions wasted costs have been ordered against the defence in  (a) Crown courts and  (b) magistrates courts in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the total sum awarded was in each case.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on how many occasions wasted costs have been ordered against the defence in Crown court in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years was not centrally recorded prior to the introduction of a new IT system in October 2006. Consequently, it is not possible to provide the requested information prior to this date.
	There were no orders for wasted costs made against the defence between October 2006 and 31 January 2009 in Crown court in Northern Ireland.
	The magistrates court in Northern Ireland has no power to make a wasted costs order.

Civil Proceedings: Legal Costs

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions wasted costs have been ordered against the Public Prosecution Service in  (a) Crown courts and  (b) magistrates courts in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the total sum awarded was in each case.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	There were no orders for wasted costs made against the Public Prosecution Service in a Crown court in Northern Ireland over the last five years.
	The magistrates court in Northern Ireland has no power to make a wasted costs order.

Crime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were convicted for  (a) sexual crimes involving minors,  (b) rape,  (c) arson,  (d) fuel smuggling,  (e) cigarette smuggling,  (f) credit card fraud,  (g) bank fraud,  (h) burglary,  (i) driving under the influence of alcohol and  (j) vehicle theft in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: In 2006 (the latest year for which figures are available) there were:
	 (a) 36 convictions for sexual crimes involving minors. Court datasets do not include victim information in relation to an offence and it is therefore possible only to give the number of convictions for those offences which, by their definition, identify a child as the victim.
	 (b) 11 convictions for rape; and
	 (c) 66 convictions for arson offences.
	 (d) and  (e) Data relating to prosecutions for fuel and cigarette smuggling are the responsibility of HM Revenue and Customs from whom this information should be sought.
	 (f) and  (g) The Northern Ireland court datasets do not contain background information in relation to an offence and it is not possible therefore to separate those convictions for fraud which related to credit card or bank fraud. It is, however, possible to determine the total number of convictions for fraud and forgery and in 2006 there were 333 such convictions.
	 (h) 532 convictions for burglary;
	 (i) 2,809 convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; and
	 (j) 350 convictions for vehicle theft.
	Data are collated on the principal offence rule; only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.

Departmental Buildings

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 881W, on departmental buildings, what the cost of the works was before occupation.

Paul Goggins: The total cost of the works is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Office name  Size (sq m)  Total cost of works, excluding VAT (£) 
			 Lisburn Chambers, Linenhall Street, Lisburn, County Antrim 2493 1,159,580 
			 Linum Chambers, Bedford Square, Bedford Street, Belfast 2802 998,753 
			 Ballymena Chambers, Parkway, Ballymena, County Antrim 2494 1,055,500 
			 Omagh Chambers, 2 Townhall Square, Omagh, County Tyrone 2265 1,070,633 
			 Foyle Chambers, 35 Limavady Road, Londonderry, County Londonderry 2364 (1)945,000 
			 (1) Anticipated total cost.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff in his Department were disciplined for  (a) bullying and  (b) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and its agencies have policies and procedures in place to deal with harassment and bullying. Staff in the NIO undergo mandatory training in equality and diversity, which includes guidance on appropriate behaviour in the workplace. The number of staff disciplined for bullying and/or harassment of work colleagues in each of the years requested is as follows:
	
		
			   Bullying  Harassment  Bullying and harassment 
			 2006 0 0 0 
			 2007 0 1 1 
			 2008 1 1 0

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) original expected cost,  (b) original expected delivery date,  (c) actual cost incurred and  (d) actual delivery date was of each ICT project undertaken and completed by his Department in each year since 1997; who the contractors for each project were; what the (i) initial estimated and (ii) outturn payment to each contractor was; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The majority of ICT projects are relatively small and are developed in-house with minimum cost. To compile information to support all projects would be at disproportionate cost. Therefore the information contained in the following table relates only to projects costing in excess of £1 million.
	
		
			   1998  1999  1999  2001  2002  2003  2003  2008 
			 Project Bloody Sunday Inquiry, Londonderry OASIS Y2K Refresh COMPASS PRISM CAUSEWAY DPP Infrastructure FLAX PRISM, Technical Refresh 
			 Purpose Implementation of IT systems to support the work of the inquiry To upgrade NIO departmental infrastructure and make it Y2K compliant To provide an e-human resources system for the Northern Ireland Prison Service To provide a prisoner record system for the Northern Ireland Prison Service A joint enterprise by criminal justice organisations in Northern Ireland to share information electronically To implement a modern ICT infrastructure for the DPP NI Replace NIO IT infrastructure, provide internet and intranet and meet electronic document and records management targets Refresh of the software and architecture 
			 Original expected cost (£ million excluding VAT) n/k 2.1 4.6 (1)3.61 42.7 1.2 8.5 1.3 
			 Original expected delivery date n/k December 1999 April 2002 December 2005 December 2006 October 2003 December 2004 March 2010 
			 Actual cost incurred (£ million excluding VAT) 33 2.2 5 4.66 33 to date 1.2 8.5 — 
			 Actual delivery date 1998 to date December 1999 September 2003 September 2005 to March 2008 Ongoing October 2003 December 2004 2008-ongoing 
			 Contractors Bull Information Systems, International Computers Capital Computers, Diagonal Solutions, Deloittes, Fujitsu HP Pecaso Accenture Sopra Fujitsu BT BT Sopra and further contracts to be awarded 
			 Initial estimated payment to contractors (£ million) n/k 2.1 3 3.61 42.7 — 8.5 1.3 
			 Outturn payment to contractors (£ million) 33 2.2 3.4 4.66 22 to date n/k 8.5 — 
			 (1) The PRISM costs include the capital and recurring costs of the project and cover the period up to the completion of implementation in March 2008. The costs also include the provision of a range of additional functionality including biometric access controls.

Departmental Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 86-87W, on departmental official residences, who pays the council tax bills for the mainland Britain residential accommodation.

Shaun Woodward: My Department pays the council tax bills for residential accommodation used by staff based in London who are required to work away from their appointed office in Belfast.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which external organisations his Department has engaged to provide training for fast stream civil service staff in the last three years; and how many civil servants in his Department have participated in the provision of training for external organisations in that period.

Shaun Woodward: The following list gives the external organisations engaged by the Northern Ireland Office to provide training for fast stream staff in the past three years.
	 External provider
	National School of Government
	Eglinton
	During the past three years, 29 staff from Northern Ireland Office have participated in the provision of training to external organisations.

Drugs: Smuggling

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Irish nationals were convicted of drug trafficking offences in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: In 2006 (the latest year for which data are available), 14 persons with Irish nationality were convicted of drug trafficking offences.
	Data are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.

Mass Media

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of his Department's contracts with press monitoring services was in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The following table details the Northern Ireland Office's expenditure, excluding agencies and Executive NDPBs, on contracts with press monitoring services in the last five years.
	
		
			  Financial year  Expenditure (£) 
			 2007-08 0 
			 2006-07 2,600 
			 2005-06 23,663 
			 2004-05 0 
			 2003-04 0

Offensive Weapons

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were convicted of knife crimes in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: The information is not available in the format requested as it is not possible to separately identify the number of convictions for certain offences, for example murder, in which a knife was involved. It is only possible to provide conviction statistics for those offences which, in their definition, refer to an 'offensive weapon' (of which knives will be one sub-category) or 'article with blade or point'. These are:
	Armed with offensive weapon with intent to commit offence;
	Possessing offensive weapon in public place;
	Possessing article with blade or point in public place;
	Possessing instrument with intent to commit an offence;
	Possessing article with blade or point on school premises;
	Possessing offensive weapon on school premises.
	In 2006 (the latest year for which data are available), there were 242 such convictions.
	Data are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.

Prison Sentences

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the likely effects of sentences of imprisonment for public protection on levels of discipline among the prison population in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Our assessment, based on analysis of experience in other jurisdictions, would indicate that in many cases prisoners subject to public protection sentences are more likely to co-operate with the sentencing planning process in order to demonstrate risk reduction. NIPS do not anticipate that the new sentencing arrangements will have any impact on levels of discipline among the prison population in Northern Ireland.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Arms Trade

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his US counterpart on the US Administration's support for the Arms Trade treaty process; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1194W.
	Although the US voted against the resolution at the UN General Assembly vote in December 2008, the US delegation took part in the UN meeting in New York on 23 January 2009 preparing for the Opening Ended Working Group, which starts in March 2009. This is an encouraging sign, and shows that the US remains engaged in discussions on this issue.
	We will be raising the Arms Trade treaty, alongside a wide range of other subjects with the new US Administration over the next few weeks, as both senior appointees and officials take up their new positions.

Bangladesh: Elections

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department is providing to Bangladesh to ensure that the elections scheduled for 29 December 2008 are free and fair.

Bill Rammell: The Department for International Development contributed £10 million to compile the new voters register, £1.1 million through the Asia Foundation to promote accountability and issue-based non-violent campaigning. We funded a country-wide scheme to motivate vulnerable groups to register to vote. The UK also made financial or human resources available to the EU and ANFREL (Asian Network for Free Elections) election observation missions.
	In his statement of the 31 December 2008, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary commented on the successful elections. This is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?view= News&id=l1710213.

Community Relations: Islam

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding the Government have provided for research on the ways in which Muslims are perceived in the UK; which Departments have allocated funds for this purpose; and which of the Government's international counterparts have co-operated with the UK in funding the research.

Sadiq Khan: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have not commissioned any research solely for the purpose of investigating perceptions of Muslims within the UK. A number of pieces of Government research do provide evidence from which it would be possible to infer how Muslims 'may' be perceived. Examples of these include:
	The Communities and Local Government Citizenship Survey; a large scale nationally representative survey intended to understand people's views on issues such as race equality, faith, feelings about community, volunteering and participation. It is possible to analyse responses by the faith of respondents. In addition, questions on perceptions of the subjects of discrimination include an option to select 'Muslim' as one of a number of responses.
	The University of Kent 'Equality, Diversity and Prejudice in Britain' (commissioned by the Government Equalities Office, previously part of CLG); includes research on positive/negative perceptions of 11 social groups, one of which was Muslims.
	The Department for Work and Pensions 'Barriers to employment for Pakistanis and Bangladeshis in Britain and Constraints'; looks at a number of issues, including perceptions towards two minority groups that are predominantly Muslim.
	All of the above research projects were funded solely by the UK Government. It is not possible to attribute costs to the specific elements or questions which relate to perceptions of Muslims in the UK, as one question or interview can be analysed from a number of standpoints.

Cyprus: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which officer is in command of the Turkish army in northern Cyprus; what assessment he has made of that officer's  (a) peacekeeping in that role and  (b) peacekeeping record; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The commander of the Turkish army in north Cyprus is Lieutenant-General Hilmi Akin Zorlu. He has served in a wide variety of assignments during his career, including as commander of the international security assistance force in Afghanistan in 2002 and 2003. In the UN Secretary-General's latest report on Cyprus, he reported that the situation in the buffer zone remained calm and stable and that the opposing forces extended in general good co-operation to the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). He also commended the cancellation by both sides of their annual military exercises. The UK welcomes such steps and would encourage further such confidence building measures.

Cyprus: Politics and Government

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to Turkey to reduce its troop numbers in northern Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Government have not recently raised the issue of the number of Turkish troops in northern Cyprus with Turkey. This is a central issue that will need to be addressed in the course of negotiations to achieve a comprehensive settlement. We would look to support any measure that helps build trust on the island. In this context, we welcomed both sides' recent cancellation of military exercises as an important confidence building measure.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the report by the UN panel of experts (S/2008/773), with particular reference to its allegation that the Rwandan Government have provided support to the rebel group the National Congress for the Defence of the People in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Bill Rammell: Accusations that the Governments of Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are complicit in supporting rebels are serious, and should be considered carefully in light of the evidence presented. The UK broadly supports the recommendations of the UN Group of Experts in their most recent report.
	However, whether these recommendations are followed, and whether sanctions will be applied against anyone as a result of the report, are questions for the DRC Sanctions Committee as a whole. Member states will need to consider collectively what the next steps will be.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an assessment of the strength of the Lord's Resistance Army following the recent incidents of killing and abduction in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 26 January 2009
	 It is increasingly difficult to obtain accurate figures regarding the strength of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The Government of Uganda estimate that there are currently 400-450 LRA combatants split into small groups across the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo towards the borders with Southern Sudan and the Central African Republic, as well as around 400 non-combatant women and children (grouped separately).
	We have repeatedly condemned the actions of the LRA and the heinous crimes they have committed.

Departmental Catering

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) directly-operated and  (b) franchised catering outlets his Department and its agencies provide for staff.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no directly operated or franchised catering outlets.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which websites were operated by his Department in addition to its main website in the last five years.

Caroline Flint: In addition to the main website, www.fco.gov.uk, the following websites have been operated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) web team and the FCO's overseas posts during the last five years:
	Afghanistan Conference 2006
	Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting
	Britain USA (British Embassy Washington)
	Britaus (British High Commission Canberra)
	British Consulate General Hong Kong
	British Consulate General, Hong Kong, Chinese
	British Embassy Beijing
	British Embassy Beijing - Chinese
	British Embassy Berlin
	British Embassy Berlin - German
	British Embassy Copenhagen
	British Embassy Copenhagen, Danish
	British Embassy, Abu Dhabi
	British Embassy, Addis Ababa
	British Embassy, Algiers
	British Embassy, Algiers, French
	British Embassy, Amman
	British Embassy, Ashgabat
	British Embassy, Ashgabat - Russian
	British Embassy, Ashgabat - Turkmen
	British Embassy, Astana
	British Embassy, Astana - Russian
	British Embassy, Athens
	British Embassy, Athens, Greek
	British Embassy, Baghdad
	British Embassy, Baghdad - Arabic
	British Embassy, Bahrain
	British Embassy, Baku
	British Embassy, Baku, Azeri
	British Embassy, Bangkok
	British Embassy, Bangkok Thai
	British Embassy, Beirut
	British Embassy, Beirut Arabic
	British Embassy, Belgrade
	British Embassy, Belgrade - Serbian
	British Embassy, Berne
	British Embassy, Bogota
	British Embassy, Bogota, Spanish
	British Embassy, Bratislava
	British Embassy, Bratislava Slovakian
	British Embassy, Brazil
	British Embassy, Brazil, Portuguese
	British Embassy, Brussels
	British Embassy, Brussels, Dutch
	British Embassy, Brussels, French
	British Embassy, Bucharest
	British Embassy, Bucharest - Romanian
	British Embassy, Budapest
	British Embassy, Budapest, Hungarian
	British Embassy, Buenos Aires
	British Embassy, Buenos Aires, Spanish
	British Embassy, Burma
	British Embassy, Cairo
	British Embassy, Caracas
	British Embassy, Caracas - Spanish
	British Embassy, Chisinau
	British Embassy, Chisinau - Romanian
	British Embassy, Chisinau - Russian
	British Embassy, Dakar
	British Embassy, Dakar, French
	British Embassy, Damascus
	British Embassy, Doha
	British Embassy, Doha - Arabic
	British Embassy, Dublin
	British Embassy, France
	British Embassy, France, French
	British Embassy, Guatemala City
	British Embassy, Guatemala City, Spanish
	British Embassy, Harare
	British Embassy, Havana
	British Embassy, Havana, Spanish
	British Embassy, Helsinki
	British Embassy, Helsinki, Finnish
	British Embassy, Helsinki, Swedish
	British Embassy, Holy See
	British Embassy, Italy
	British Embassy, Italy - Italian
	British Embassy, Jakarta
	British Embassy, Kabul
	British Embassy, Kathmandu
	British Embassy, Kiev
	British Embassy, Kiev, Ukrainian
	British Embassy, Kigali
	British Embassy, Kuwait - Arabic
	British Embassy, La Paz
	British Embassy, La Paz, Spanish
	British Embassy, Lima
	British Embassy, Lima - Spanish
	British Embassy, Lisbon
	British Embassy, Lisbon - Portuguese
	British Embassy, Ljubljana
	British Embassy, Ljubljana - Slovenian
	British Embassy, Luanda
	British Embassy, Luanda, Portuguese
	British Embassy, Luxembourg
	British Embassy, Madrid
	British Embassy, Madrid, Spanish
	British Embassy, Managua
	British Embassy, Managua - Spanish
	British Embassy, Manila
	British Embassy, Mexico
	British Embassy, Mexico - Spanish
	British Embassy, Minsk
	British Embassy, Montevideo
	British Embassy, Montevideo - Spanish
	British Embassy, Muscat
	British Embassy, Muscat - Arabic
	British Embassy, Oslo
	British Embassy, Oslo - Norwegian
	British Embassy, Panama City
	British Embassy, Panama City - Spanish
	British Embassy, Phnom Penh
	British Embassy, Podgorica
	British Embassy, Prague
	British Embassy, Prague - Czech
	British Embassy, Rabat
	British Embassy, Rabat - Arabic
	British Embassy, Rabat - French
	British Embassy, Reykjavik
	British Embassy, Riga
	British Embassy, Riga - Latvian
	British Embassy, Riyadh
	British Embassy, Russia
	British Embassy, Russia Russian
	British Embassy, San Jose
	British Embassy, San Jose, Spanish
	British Embassy, San Salvador
	British Embassy, San Salvador - Spanish
	British Embassy, Sanaa
	British Embassy, Sanaa - Arabic
	British Embassy, Santiago
	British Embassy, Santiago, Spanish
	British Embassy, Sarajevo
	British Embassy, Seoul
	British Embassy, Seoul - Korean
	British Embassy, Skopje
	British Embassy, Sofia
	British Embassy, Sofia, Bulgarian
	British Embassy, Stockholm
	British Embassy, Stockholm - Swedish
	British Embassy, Sudan
	British Embassy, Sudan - Arabic
	British Embassy, Tajikistan
	British Embassy, Tajikistan - Russian
	British Embassy, Tallinn
	British Embassy, Tallinn, Estonian
	British Embassy, Tallinn, Russian
	British Embassy, Tashkent
	British Embassy, Tashkent - Russian
	British Embassy, Tbilisi
	British Embassy, Tegucigalpa
	British Embassy, Tegucigalpa, Spanish
	British Embassy, Tehran
	British Embassy, Tehran - Farsi
	British Embassy, Tel Aviv
	British Embassy, The Hague
	British Embassy, The Hague - Dutch
	British Embassy, Tirana
	British Embassy, Tirana, Albanian
	British Embassy, Tripoli
	British Embassy, Tripoli Arabic
	British Embassy, Tunis
	British Embassy, Tunis - French
	British Embassy, Turkey
	British Embassy, Turkey - Turkish
	British Embassy, Ulaanbaatar
	British Embassy, Ulaanbataar Mongolian
	British Embassy, Vienna
	British Embassy, Vietnam
	British Embassy, Vietnam Vietnamese
	British Embassy, Vilnius
	British Embassy, Vilnius - Lithuanian
	British Embassy, Warsaw
	British Embassy, Warsaw - Polish
	British Embassy, Yerevan
	British Embassy, Yerevan, Armenian
	British Embassy, Zagreb
	British Embassy, Zagreb, Croatian
	British Embassy,Quito
	British Embassy,Quito, Spanish
	British High Commission, Accra
	British High Commission, Bandar Seri Begawan
	British High Commission, Bandar Seri Begawan, Malay
	British High Commission, Banjul
	British High Commission, Belmopan
	British High Commission, Bridgetown
	British High Commission, Colombo
	British High Commission, Dar es Salaam
	British High Commission, Dhaka
	British High Commission, Dhaka, Bangla
	British High Commission, Freetown
	British High Commission, Gaborone
	British High Commission, Georgetown
	British High Commission, Islamabad
	British High Commission Islamabad, Urdu
	British High Commission, Jamaica
	British High Commission, Kampala
	British High Commission, Kuala Lumpur
	British High Commission, Lilongwe
	British High Commission, Lusaka
	British High Commission, Maputo
	British High Commission, Maputo Portuguese
	British High Commission, Maseru
	British High Commission, Mbabane
	British High Commission, Nairobi
	British High Commission, Nassau
	British High Commission, New Zealand
	British High Commission, Nicosia
	British High Commission, Nigeria
	British High Commission, Ottawa
	British High Commission, Ottawa, French
	British High Commission, Port Louis
	British High Commission, Port Moresby
	British High Commission, Port of Spain
	British High Commission, Port Vila
	British High Commission, Singapore
	British High Commission, South Africa
	British High Commission, Suva
	British High Commission, Valletta
	British High Commission, Victoria
	British High Commission, Windhoek
	British High Commission, Yaounde
	British High Commission, Yaounde, French
	British Office Pristina, Kosovo
	British Trade and Cultural Office, Taiwan
	British Trade and Cultural Office, Taiwan (Chinese)
	Caribbean (demonstration site)
	Consulate-General, Jerusalem
	Consulate-General, Jerusalem Arabic
	Crossroads For Ideas
	Design UK Japan
	Domican Republic Spanish
	Dominican Republic
	E-Media (best practice website for staff)
	FCO Arabic website
	FCO Urdu
	Freedom Of Information
	G8 Gleneagles 2005
	Governor to the Cayman Islands
	i-uk China
	i-uk General Arabic
	i-uk Germany
	i-uk Germany German
	i-uk Netherlands
	i-uk.com
	i-uk. com Finland
	i-uk. com France
	i-uk. com India
	i-uk. com Malaysia
	i-uk.com South Africa
	Rugby World Cup 2007
	Shanghai Expo 2010
	UK Delegation to NATO
	UK Delegation to the OECD
	UK EU presidency 2005
	UK EU presidency 2005, French
	UK Food Japan
	UK in India
	UK International Policing
	UK Japan 2008
	UK Mission to the United Nations, Geneva
	UK Mission to UN, New York
	UK Now - Seoul
	UK Now - Seoul, Korean
	UK Permanent Representation to the Conference on Disarmament
	UKNow - Japanese
	UKNow Japan
	UKvisas

Departmental Pay

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at his Department and its agencies in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008; and how much was spent on such bonuses in each of those years.

Gillian Merron: The information requested is as follows:
	2007: £2,201,790 on variable pay for 348 SCS/SMS staff;
	2008: £2,435,100 on variable pay for 288 staff.

Departmental Secondment

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in his Department are on secondment, broken down by  (a) job title,  (b) grade and  (c) Department or institution from which they are seconded.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 2 February 2009
	As at 1 January 2009 there were 267 officials seconded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from a wide range of other Government Departments or institutions. The 267 officials comprise 29 senior management level, 11 at D7, 98 at D6, 31 at C5, 84 at C4, 13 at B3 and one at A2 level. For security reasons it would be inappropriate to provide a breakdown by job title and Department or institution.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in his Department attended at least one such training course.

Caroline Flint: We are not aware of any digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2008.

EU Countries: Carbon Emissions

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Polish and Czech counterparts on carbon dioxide emission reductions.

Gillian Merron: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's discussions with EU partners on emissions reduction targets have been largely in the context of delivering the EU's 2020 climate and energy legislative package. The package represents the delivery phase of the commitments which were agreed by heads of Government at the 2007 spring European Council, and puts the EU on track towards a low carbon economy. We welcome the agreement of the ambitious 2020 package at the December European Council.
	Throughout 2008, Government officials had good contact on the package with their Polish and Czech opposite numbers and the Foreign Secretary also discussed climate and energy issues with Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski and Czech Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg.

Guantanamo Bay: Detainees

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to seek the return to the UK of British residents detained in Guantanamo Bay.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 20 January 2009
	 By December 2007 the Government had secured the return from Guantanamo Bay of four individuals previously lawfully resident in the UK. The UK has, since August 2007, sought the release and return of two further former residents, Mr. Shaker Aamer and Mr. Binyam Mohamed, who remain in detention at the facility.
	We remain in ongoing discussions with the US regarding Mr. Mohamed's case and continue to press for his release and return at all levels. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has raised the case with former Secretary of State Rice, as has our Ambassador in Washington with senior members of the US Administration. Senior UK officials across Government have also raised with their counterparts in State Department, Department of Defence and NSC.
	The US has not agreed to release and return Mr. Aamer to the UK in light of security concerns expressed in relation to his case. We maintain dialogue with them regarding Mr. Aamer's welfare but are no longer in active negotiations for his return to the UK. Our request for his release and return remains open should the US position change.

Israel: EU External Trade

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek a review at EU level of Israel's trade status with the EU.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 15 January 2009
	 We do not believe that economic sanctions are the best way to engage or to influence Israel. We therefore have no plans to seek a review of Israel's trade status with the EU.

Languages

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 16 July 2008, how many of his Department's staff received language training in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07, broken down by language.

Gillian Merron: I will write to the hon. Member separately, and place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to help bring an end to the conflict in Gaza.

Bill Rammell: We have been very active in seeking to bring an end to the conflict in Gaza. From the outset, we have called for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have spoken frequently to key leaders. Security Council Resolution 1860 was tabled by the UK, and the Foreign Secretary played a leading role in securing its adoption. We are now being similarly active in seeking to ensure that the ceasefire is built on.

Morocco: EU External Relations

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Morocco's compliance with UN Security Council resolutions calling for a referendum on self-determination have been raised in EU-Morocco discussions on granting advanced status to Morocco.

Bill Rammell: The issue of Western Sahara was discussed at the 13 October 2008 meeting of the EU-Morocco Association Council. Western Sahara remains part of the political dialogue between the EU and Morocco, which will be strengthened as part of the advanced status.
	The UK continues to believe that progress towards a negotiated solution to the dispute in Western Sahara providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara is best achieved under the auspices of the UN. To this end and in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution (1813) of 30 April 2008, the UK fully supports the efforts of the UN in this respect and looks forward to the appointment of a new UN Secretary General Personal Envoy to the Western Sahara, and the resumption of the Manhasset negotiations.

Palestinians: Diplomatic Relations

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on holding discussions with elected Palestinian representatives in Gaza.

Bill Rammell: President Abbas is the elected leader of the Palestinian people. We work very closely with him and his Government.
	We do not believe it is productive to talk to Hamas directly until it makes significant movement towards the Quartet principles of rejecting violence, accepting Israel's right to exist and recognising previous agreements. The Arab League has mandated Egypt to communicate with Hamas. We are in regular contact with both the Arab League and Egypt. Turkey, Syria, Qatar and others are also speaking to Hamas.

Peace

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on  (a) peace education,  (b) mediation,  (c) conflict prevention,  (d) conflict resolution,  (e) interfaith dialogue and  (f) other peace development initiatives since January 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Most of this information is not held centrally in these specific categories, and obtaining it would incur disproportionate cost. However, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does hold information on conflict-related programme activity funded through trilateral (FCO, Ministry of Defence and Department for International Development) funds since 2002.
	From 2000 to 2007, the FCO funded its conflict-related programme activity through the tri-departmentally managed and owned Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) and Africa Conflict Prevention Pool (ACPP). The Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP) was established in April 2008 to replace the GCPP and ACPP. The CPP funds a broad range of conflict prevention work including education and mediation initiatives, and currently supports work in a number of regions (the Balkans, the Americas, Africa, South Asia, Middle East and North Africa and Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States). A separate Stabilisation Aid Fund (SAF) was established in April 2008 to fund stabilisation and reconstruction activity in Afghanistan and Iraq.
	From financial year 2001-02 to 2007-08, GCPP expenditure amounted to approximately 448 million, and ACPP expenditure amounted to approximately 341 million. For financial year 2008-09, 112 million has been allocated to the CPP, and 73 million has been allocated to the SAF.

Somalia: Armed Conflict

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Ethiopian counterpart on Ethiopia's announcement that it will withdraw its troops from Somalia by 31 December 2008.

David Miliband: My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Security and Counter-terrorism at the Home Office, Lord West, discussed Ethiopia's withdrawal from Somalia during his meeting with the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, on 12 December 2008 in Addis Ababa. At the meeting, Mr. Meles confirmed that Ethiopian forces would withdraw from Somalia by the end of the year.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment of the political situation in Sri Lanka is.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 29 January 2009
	I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement issued on 21 January 2009 by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary,  Official Report, columns 29-32WS.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking on the Tamil conflict in Sri Lanka.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 29 January 2009
	I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement issued by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 21 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 29-32WS.

Sudan

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of child victims of the Darfur conflict being passed in to slavery with the complicity of the Sudanese Army; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 22 January 2009
	 We are aware that, in a report published in December 2008, the Darfur Consortium group of non-government organisations (NGOs) described the abduction of women and children in Darfur. While we do not have independent verification of these allegations, we are deeply concerned and join the report's authors in condemning all instances of abduction, people trafficking and other forms of slavery.
	We agree with many of the report's recommendations, including the need for full deployment of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), a comprehensive ceasefire and inclusive peace process for a sustainable resolution of the conflict in Darfur. We are working closely with UN, African Union and international partners to achieve these objectives, especially UNAMID's efforts to improve security for internally displaced persons and to ensure humanitarian agencies and NGOs can operate effectively in the region.

USA: Armed Forces

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1795-96W, on USA: Central Asia, what the grade is of each of the two personnel from his Department contributing to the work of the American Central Command Assessment Team.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 12 January 2009
	 Foreign and Commonwealth Office participation in the American Central Command Assessment Team comprised one D7 grade officer and one Senior Management Structure officer. The UK was pleased to be able to contribute to the wide-ranging discussion on security, rule of law and issues of global concern.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Carbon Emissions: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 22 October 2008,  Official Report, column 361W, on carbon emissions: waste disposal, whether the work on estimating dioxin emissions from domestic burning has been completed.

Jane Kennedy: No. The current contract should be completed by the end of this financial year.

Departmental Buildings

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on  (a) maintaining,  (b) decorating and  (c) otherwise improving departmental buildings in the last five years; how much has been spent on wallpaper since 2001; and what plans there are for further spending on departmental decoration.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA has 230 properties in its portfolio, most of which have minor decorative work carried out as part of ongoing maintenance. These works are not always recorded separately from other associated works.
	Gathering the data together would incur a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in departmental buildings in the last 12 months.

Huw Irranca-Davies: No works or refurbishments have been carried out in offices allocated to DEFRA Ministers in the last 12 months.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much capital expenditure has been brought forward in response to the economic downturn by his Department, agencies and non-departmental bodies to  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11; from which years such expenditure has been brought forward; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In response to the economic downturn, DEFRA has with HM Treasury approval brought forward capital expenditure from 2010-11 into 2009-10 as shown in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			  Organisation  Measure  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Environment Agency (non-departmental public body) Flood and coastal erosion risk management 0 +20 -20 
			 British Waterways (public corporation) Waterways network infrastructure 0 +5 -5 
			 Total  0 +25 -25

Domestic Waste: Contracts

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 842W, on domestic waste: contracts, if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) peer review of WR0106 and  (b) the final report for WR0506.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA's arrangements for publishing peer reviews are set out in its science handbook. This requires peer reviews to be carried out on completed, published reports in certain defined cases.
	In this case, a peer review was carried out on a draft research report before its completion or publication. In accordance with standard practice, therefore, it would not be appropriate to publish it.

Fisheries: Licensing

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many boats have been licensed for scallop dredging in England in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table shows the number of boats licensed for scallop dredging in England from 2004-08.
	
		
			  As at year ending 31 December  Number of vessels 
			 2004 186 
			 2005 183 
			 2006 169 
			 2007 172 
			 2008 163

Fisheries: Quotas

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the EU sea fishing quotas for 2008 on the profitability of the British fishing industry; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA has information on the monetary value derived from fish landings, rather than profitability, which is at best estimated.
	DEFRA does not have all 2008 landings data, which should be available in May. On the basis of available 2008 information we understand that landings of quota species generated revenues of 459.2 million and revenues from all species landed amounted to 635.5 million. In 2007, for which we have a full year's worth of data, quota species generated 464.8 million in revenues, and all species landed generated 643 million.
	Once all the data from 2008 are available DEFRA expects revenues generated in 2008 to exceed those generated in 2007.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the contribution the Leader programme may make to reducing flood risk; what the budget for the next three years is; what type of project is eligible for consideration under the programme, and what criteria have to be met; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Leader approach is a delivery mechanism for the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-2013. It is a method of harnessing local knowledge to enable a bottom-up, community-led approach to the delivery of funding in rural areas. The Leader approach is being implemented through local action groups, which represent public and private partners and local interest groups covering broad sectors of the local society and economy.
	Local action groups are implementing local development strategies setting out their plans for their areas, including selection criteria for local projects. The regional development agencies are responsible for the overall management of the delivery of the Leader approach.
	A minimum of 5 per cent. of the EU funds within the Rural Development Programme for England will be spent through Leader. This means a minimum of 105 million across the country until 2013.
	Reduction of flood risk has not been identified as a national priority for Rural Development funding. However, individual local action groups may have identified environmental management activity as a priority for them and within that there is scope for small-scale interventions to encourage community engagement in flood management.

Floods: Copeland

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will request that the North West Development Agency include in its plans for bringing forward major public works flood protection projects in Copeland constituency.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	The Environment Agency north-west region is currently planning a number of flood risk studies within the borough of Copeland around the Whitehaven and Egremont area. These include Nor Beck in Cleator Moor, and Skirting Beck in Egremont. Once completed, these studies may lead to flood defence capital improvement works. There are currently no plans to bring the possible construction works forward as this would require additional grant in aid and other funding. In addition, a small scheme at Low Mill, near Egremont, is currently nearing completion.

Fly-tipping

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates the Environment Agency's National Fly-tipping Prevention Group met in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: The National Fly-tipping Prevention Group met on the following dates in the last 12 months:
	4 March 2008;
	24 June 2008;
	24 September 2008; and
	10 December 2008.

Inland Waterways

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to grant cruiseway status to the Kennet and Avon canal.

Huw Irranca-Davies: British Waterways has the discretion to apply to DEFRA for cruiseway status to waterways of remainder status, such as the Kennet and Avon canal. British Waterways has confirmed that it intends to submit its proposal for reclassification of the Kennet and Avon canal shortly. Ministerial consideration of the proposal will then be subject to the outcome of the consultation and other statutory procedures prescribed by the Transport Act 1968.

Joint Waste Authorities

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which bodies will underwrite the liabilities of joint waste authorities.

Jane Kennedy: The detail of liabilities will be set out on a case by case basis as agreed between the authorities involved.

Nappies: Waste Disposal

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid to Environmental Resources Management Limited for its research on the environmental impact of nappies; and if he will place a copy of the final research report in the Library.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA, the Environment Agency and Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) paid a total of 45,787.50 (excluding VAT) to Environmental Resources Management Ltd. for the updated study into the environmental impact of nappies. DEFRA's share of the cost was 16,762.50. A copy of the study will be placed in the Library.

Nature Conservation

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the European Commission's proposals for an EU-wide regulatory approach on non-native invasive species in its Communication entitled Towards an EU Strategy on Invasive Species.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Commission's proposals are still at a very formative stage and detailed proposals have not yet been brought forward for thorough evaluation. I am aware that options are still being appraised by the Commission and we expect member states to be further involved in discussions soon. The UK has attended all previous meetings with the Commission on development of these ideas and as we now work to implement the Invasive Non-native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain, we are well placed to contribute to the development of an EU strategy. On 3 February I laid in Parliament an Explanatory Memorandum on the Commission's Communication.

Nature Conservation

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the Convention on Biological Diversity's proposals for a global approach on non-native invasive species.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Invasive alien species are a major global threat to biodiversity and the Government support the work done under the Convention on Biological Diversity to promote concerted efforts to tackle this. The Invasive Non-native Species Framework Strategy for Great Britain has at its core one of the key invasive species guiding principles agreed by the parties to the conventionadvocating prevention, early detection with rapid eradication and finally, management or control as the most cost effective policy approach. The GB strategy will enable us to take forward many areas of work relevant to implementing the decisions of the parties.
	At the ninth conference of the parties in Bonn in 2008, along with a small number of other parties, we signalled our commitment to tackling this issue under the convention with a signed ministerial commitment presented at an event hosted by the global invasive species programme. As part of implementing a more strategic approach, the Government are also supportive of current proposals to develop a stronger EU framework to help address key issues at that scale.

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the cost to farmers of compliance with the new nitrate vulnerable zones.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Nitrates Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008 came into force on 1 January 2009. An impact assessment was laid with the regulations on 4 September 2008. It included an assessment of the potential costs to farmers of compliance.

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the nitrate vulnerable zone regulations on the sustainability of the farming industry; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The regulations came into force on 1 January 2009. An impact assessment covering the impact on the farming sector was laid with the regulations on 4 September 2008.

Noise: Pollution

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what amendments have been made to local authority powers to tackle noise since 2001; and what his Department's policy is on noise from church bells.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Since 2001, the following amendments have been made to local authority powers to tackle noise.
	The Noise Act 1996 has been amended by the Anti- Social Behaviour Act 2003 so that the Noise Act powers are easier for local authorities to use.
	The Noise Act 1996 has been amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, which extended the Noise Act to licensed as well as domestic premises. Local authorities have a discretionary power to prosecute or issue a fixed penalty notice for night noise above the 'permitted level' emitted from a dwelling or licensed premises between 11 pm and 7 am.
	Sections 69-81 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 introduced new powers for local authorities to deal with audible intruder alarms in their area. A local authority may designate its area (or parts of it) as an alarm notification area. The occupier or owner in respect of any premises that are fitted with an audible intruder alarm in the designated area must nominate a key holder for those premises and notify the local authority of the contact details of that key holder.
	The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 also introduced powers for local authorities to enter premises in order to silence audible intruder alarms where key holders cannot be reached, or where the alarm is not in an alarm notification area. These powers of entry apply to audible intruder alarms sounding for 20 minutes continuously or one hour intermittently, and likely to cause annoyance to those in the vicinity.
	Section 80 (2A) of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 introduced a discretionary power for local authorities to take such other steps as it thinks appropriate to persuade the appropriate person to abate a statutory nuisance from noise within a seven-day period without serving an abatement notice. An abatement notice must still be served after the seven-day period if the local authority thinks that a statutory nuisance still exists, or is likely to occur or recur, and the abatement notice can be served at any point within the seven days.
	Complaints about noise from church bells would be subject to part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended), but we would expect common sense to be applied to the handling of complaints not least because church bells are part of our culture and heritage.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Civil Servants: Housing

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidance the Cabinet Office has issued on the provision of housing allowances for second homes as remuneration to staff in  (a) the Civil Service and  (b) non-departmental public bodies.

Tom Watson: The rules and guidance for Departments on civil servants' pay and allowances are set out in the Civil Service Management Code. General guidance on terms and conditions for NDPB staff is set out in the Cabinet Office publication Public Bodies: A Guide for Departments and in the HM Treasury publication Managing Public Money. Copies of all publications are available in the Library of the House.

Civil Service: Pensions

John Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what changes he intends to make to payments from the Civil Service Pension Scheme from April 2009; and whether savings are expected from these changes.

Liam Byrne: Pensions paid by the civil service scheme are adjusted in April by the same amount as the state second pension. Pension payments will therefore be increased from April, based on the retail prices index for September 2008.
	I refer the hon. Member to the written statement I gave to the House on 16 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 111-12WS.

Civil Service: Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 1 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1431W, on the Civil Service: pensions, for what reason the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme resource accounts were not laid before Parliament after the House returned in the autumn of 2008; and when he plans to publish them.

Liam Byrne: The accounts were laid before Parliament on 22 January 2009 [HC60].
	In my written ministerial statement of 16 December 2008, I referred to some overpayments made to pensioners of public sector pension schemes, including the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme.
	The Civil Superannuation Resource Accounts contain reference to these overpayments. The decision was taken not to publish the accounts until such time as we had sufficient information to be able to inform those pensioners affected. Critical to this decision was the need to avoid unnecessary public concern among the vast majority (95 per cent.) of civil service pensioners who were entirely unaffected, but who would not have known that had a general announcement been made. Letters were sent to affected pensioners on 15 December and the statement, formally notifying Parliament of the overpayments, was made on 16 December.

Community Assets Programme

Ben Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster according to what criteria funds are allocated from the Community Assets Fund for councils to renovate community assets in preparation for the transfer of their management or ownership to community groups.

Kevin Brennan: To be eligible to apply for the Community Assets programme, applications had to be made by either the local authority that owned the asset to be transferred, or a third sector organisation that the asset would be transferred to. In each case the application had to be endorsed by the other partner, and supported by the wider community. The transfer could be in the form of a registered freehold or a registered and assignable lease of at least 20 years without a break.
	Applications had to address the three programme outcomes to be considered for funding:
	1. Local third sector organisations have greater security and independence, and are better able to meet the needs of the communities they serve.
	2. Communities have more access to better quality facilities that respond to their needs.
	3. There is more effective partnership working between local authorities and the third sector.
	Subject to meeting the initial eligibility criteria, projects were then assessed against the two following criteria:
	1. The proposed project outcomes meet an identified need and help to achieve the programme outcomes.
	2. The organisation can deliver the project well and achieve the proposed outcomes.
	On the basis of assessment against these criteria, 38 in-principle grants were awarded in April 2008. A full breakdown of the above criteria and published guidance on the Community Assets programme can be found at:
	www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.

Departmental Location

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many Cabinet Office posts have been relocated away from London and the south-east since the adoption of relocation targets arising from the 2004 Spending Review; and when he expects these targets to be met.

Tom Watson: The Lyons Review set relocations to be achieved by 2010-11. Details of the numbers of Cabinet Office posts relocated in relation to SR 2004 Lyons Review were last reported in Cabinet Office Autumn Performance Report 2008 which is available in the Libraries of the House for the reference of Members.

Departmental Manpower

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff are employed in No. 10 Downing Street.

Tom Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minster gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 1 May 2008,  Official Report, column 624W.

Departmental Pensions

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what proportion of Cabinet Office staff are members of a Civil Service final salary pension scheme.

Tom Watson: The total number of Cabinet Office employees in a civil service final salary pension scheme was, as at November 2008, 1,234 or 73.3 per cent. of staff. These figures include ex-HMSO employees with reserved rights who are no longer Cabinet Office staff but are included within the Department's pension administrator's database.

Departmental Publications

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects his Department to publish the next edition of Public Bodies.

Tom Watson: I refer the right hon. Member to the statement I made on 2 February 2009,  Official Report, column 31WS.

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what date he last used a train in the course of his official duties.

Liam Byrne: My official travel is undertaken in line with the requirements of the Ministerial Code. The last rail journey I undertook on official business was 8 January 2009.

Employment

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many people flowed from jobseeker's allowance into paid employment in each year since 2001;
	(2)  how many people flowed off jobseeker's allowance in each year since 2001;
	(3)  how many people flowed off jobseeker's allowance on to incapacity benefit in each year since 2001.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking; how many people flowed from Jobseeker's Allowance to paid employment in each year since 2001, how many people came off Jobseeker's Allowance in each year since 2001, and how many people flowed off Jobseeker's Allowance onto incapacity benefit in each year since 2001. (255649, 255682, 255686)
	The table shows a breakdown of the destination of off-flows recorded by Jobcentre Plus in each year since 2001.
	Information on the destination of off-flows from Jobseeker's Allowance comes from a form completed by Jobcentre Plus employees when terminating a claim. Although effort is made to complete the termination as accurately as possible for each claim, there are a significant proportion of off-flows that fall into non-specific categories such as ceased claiming, not known and failed to sign.
	
		
			  Table 1: Destination of off-flows from jobseeker's allowance 
			   Into paid employment( 1)  Claimed incapacity benefit  All other specified reasons  Not known( 2)  Total 
			 2001 1,402,480 128,410 434,590 848,085 2,813,565 
			 2002 1,324,640 118,725 466,660 892,095 2,802,120 
			 2003 1,239,685 112,075 465,940 895,200 2,712,900 
			 2004 1,107,175 102,150 440,430 883,925 2,533,680 
			 2005 984,225 93,045 405,130 913,115 2,395,515 
			 2006 983,495 97,450 415,990 1,041,685 2,538,600 
			 2007 955,120 102,405 469,355 1,091,420 2,618,300 
			 2008 938,735 85,045 484,050 1,109,925 2,617,755 
			 (1) Either found work or increased work to 16+ hours per week. (2) Includes ceased claiming and failed to sign.  Note: Data are rounded to the nearest five.

Government Departments: Recruitment

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the total cost to the Government of  (a) recruitment and  (b) job advertising in the last year for which figures are available.

Tom Watson: The information requested is not held centrally and therefore it could be provided only at disproportionate cost with no guarantee of accuracy.

Government Information: Public Participation

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he plans to repeat the data mash up competition Show Us a Better Way in 2009.

Tom Watson: The Show Us A Better Way competition generated a strong public response, with over 450 entries. The Power of Information Task Force will be concluding its work shortly. The Government are committed to harnessing the power of social media in order to spread innovation across the public sector.

Higher Civil Servants: Official Hospitality

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 7 May 2008,  Official Report, column 885W, on the recording of hospitality received by senior civil servants in 2007, how he plans to publish the list of hospitality received by members of departmental boards during 2007; and what timetable he has set for publication.

Tom Watson: Hospitality received by members of departmental boards will be published shortly and copies placed in the Library of the House.

Horizon Scanning Forum

William Hague: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Horizon Scanning Forum led by his Department was established; what its role and composition is; how often it meets; and what the role of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is in the forum.

Tom Watson: The first meeting of the Horizon Scanning Forum (HSF) was held in September 2008. The HSF works closely with the new Cabinet Office Strategic Horizons Unit to meet the National Security Strategy commitment to
	strengthen the Government's capacity for horizon-scanning, forward planning and early warning.
	The HSF acts as the main commissioning and co-ordinating body for national security-related horizon scanning work. The HSF will sit quarterly at working level, improving cross-government co-ordination between those involved in horizon scanning, identifying emerging themes and building an effective community that can share products, expertise and experience. For security reasons, it would not be appropriate to make public the precise composition of the HSF, but the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is represented.

House of Commons: Right of Search

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what meetings he has attended with Mr. Speaker on the arrest of the hon. Member for Ashford and the search of his office; what was discussed; if he will place in the Library a copy of records held by his Department of such meetings; and whether he has received a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 from the hon. Member for North Essex for this information.

Liam Byrne: I have not attended any meetings with Mr. Speaker on the arrest of the hon. Member for Ashford (Damian Green) and the search of his office. I can also confirm that my Department has received a request, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, from the hon. Member for North Essex asking for this information. A response confirming the position set out in this answer has been sent to the hon. Member for North Essex.

Migration

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will rank the UK among other EU member states in terms of net migration in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to respond to your question concerning how the UK ranks among other EU member states in terms of net migration in (a) 1997 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available. (254538)
	Eurostat publish net migration figures for all EU member states. These may differ from the estimates produced by individual national statistics institutes as Eurostat make adjustments to improve comparability across member states. These show that the UK had the fourth highest levels of net migration in 1997 and third highest in 2007, the latest year for which complete data are available. However care should be taken when comparing net migration estimates as a small net migration figure may mask large immigration and emigration flows.

Non-profit Associations

John Grogan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost of the national survey of third sector organisations was; and what percentage of surveys were returned completed.

Kevin Brennan: The national survey of third sector organisations closed with a final national response rate of 47 per cent. The cost of the survey is commercially confidential, and the release of this information would adversely affect Government's commercial interests in contracting future work of this sort.

Property: Databases

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of the cost of the property database being created for the 2011 census.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of the cost of the property database being created for the 2011 Census. (253765)
	The cost of developing an Address Register for the 2011 Census is now estimated to be about 12m over the years 2008 - 2011. The additional estimated cost since my reply to your previous question in November 2008 (Hansard reference 235103) is due to a decision following successful piloting to match fully the two key national address lists - the Royal Mail Postal Address File and Local Government's National Land and property Gazetteer.
	It is misleading to refer to this as a 'property database' since the Address Register will contain a list of household and communal establishment addresses linked to higher level geographic areas. The pre-requisite for a successful strategy of post-out of Census questionnaires as the primary delivery method, is the availability of a comprehensive, high quality address register for all areas of England and Wales. The Office for National Statistics is developing an address register that meets Census requirements in terms of quality and coverage and which local authorities can be confident will effectively underpin Census enumeration and outputs.

Roads: Taxation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what consideration the Office for National Statistics has given to the classification of  (a) local and  (b) national road pricing schemes for the purposes of taxation statistics.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what consideration the Office for National Statistics has given to the classification of (a) local and (b) national road pricing schemes for the purposes of taxation statistics (252473).
	ONS produces the United Kingdom's National Accounts. The National Accounts are an internationally comparable accounting framework that describes the activities in a national economy, including the transactions that take place between sectors of that economy. The relevant international manuals are the System of National Accounts 1993(SNA93) and the European System of Accounts 1995 (ESA95) in particular.
	As part of the process of producing the National Accounts, ONS decides on the classification of institutions and transactions within the economy. This well-established process is set out in Annex A of the National Statistics Protocol on Statistical Integration and Classification available at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/about-statistics/ns-standard/cop/protocols/index.html
	Whilst ONS has not considered the classification of any proposed national road charging scheme, some other government schemes have been examined. Those examined include the London Low Emission Zone (LEZ); the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames emissions based parking charge, the London congestion charge and road/bridge toll charges.
	Government revenue is mainly divided into taxes or service charges. Taxes are compulsory unrequited payments, where unrequited means that the payer does not receive anything directly in return. Service payments are requited in that they include the delivery of a service in exchange for a payment. In some instances the classification of these receipts can be difficult to interpret and the international statistical manuals recognise that the borderline between taxes and payments for services rendered is not always clear cut in practice. As a result ONS consider the nature of the receipts carefully before reaching a decision.
	The London congestion charge and road/bridge toll charges are payments made for vehicles to use the roads within a defined zone. The charges are judged to be requited payments in line with international guidance and are therefore classified as payments for a service.
	The LEZ and the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames emissions based parking charge are classified as taxes. The LEZ charge is a compulsory payment for specific vehicles to drive within the LEZ. Although the vehicles gain access to roads within the LEZ. the charging policy relates to vehicles polluting the air within the zone rather the use of the roads. The LEZ charge on the use of the non-compliant vehicle is judged to be unrequited and classified as a tax on pollution.
	Similarly, the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames's charge for a permit to park in a Controlled Parking Zone, which was implemented on 2 April 2007, is based on the emissions of the vehicle concerned. The decision to classify the charge as a tax on pollution is similar to the LEZ: the charge relates to the vehicle emissions rather than the direct consumption of a service.

Security Commission

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many reports the Security Commission has produced since May 1997; and on what issues.

Tom Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 16 December 2008,  Official Report, column 581W.

Suicide

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) males and  (b) females in each age group committed suicide in the last year for which records are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many (a) males and (b) females in each age group committed suicide in the last year for which records are available. (255546)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where suicide was the underlying cause of death for persons aged 15 and over, for (a) males and (b) females by five year age group for 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths where suicide was the underlying cause of death, England and Wales, by sex and 5-year age group, 2007( 1,)( )( 2,)( )( 3,)( )( 4) 
			  Deaths 
			  Age  Male  Female 
			 15-19 96 32 
			 20-24 227 40 
			 25-29 268 56 
			 30-34 343 90 
			 35-39 431 91 
			 40-44 418 106 
			 45-49 311 124 
			 50-54 284 98 
			 55-59 268 83 
			 60-64 196 79 
			 65-69 126 53 
			 70-74 84 43 
			 75-79 91 40 
			 80-84 89 38 
			 85+ 64 37 
			 (1) Suicide was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84 and Y10-Y34, excluding Y33.9 (where the Coroner's verdict was pending). (2) Figures include deaths of non-residents. (3) Suicide and undetermined intent deaths have not been included for children under the age of 15 years. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in 2007.

Suicide

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) males and  (b) females (i) under the age of 18, (ii) aged between 18 and 25 and (iii) over the age of 25 years committed suicide each year since 1992.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many  (a) males and  (b) females in (i) under the age of 18, (ii) aged between 18 and 25 and (iii) over the age of 25 years committed suicide in each year since 1992. (255551)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where suicide was the underlying cause of death for persons aged 15 and over, for  (a) males and  (b) females by five year aged (i) 15 to 17 years, (ii) 18 to 25 years and (iii) over 25 years for 1992 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths where suicide was the underlying cause of death, England and Wales, by sex and age group, 1992-07( 1,2,3,4) 
			   Male  Female 
			   15-17  18-25  Over 25  15-17  18-25  Over 25 
			 1992 33 616 3,393 13 133 1,270 
			 1993 41 617 3,150 14 121 1,222 
			 1994 48 563 3,164 13 111 1,169 
			 1995 24 549 3,268 19 106 1,145 
			 1996 38 478 3,143 19 124 1,096 
			 1997 41 537 2,987 23 103 1,123 
			 1998 60 548 3,431 16 124 1,153 
			 1999 42 465 3,455 24 110 1,137 
			 2000 39 461 3,270 18 123 1,158 
			 2001 50 427 3,216 15 97 1,086 
			 2002 45 380 3,108 16 113 1,089 
			 2003 40 413 3,127 19 93 1,104 
			 2004 39 391 3,146 16 107 1,172 
			 2005 32 356 3,093 21 97 1,103 
			 2006 36 327 3,017 18 91 1,015 
			 2007 39 332 2,925 15 65 930 
			 (1) Suicide was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes E950-E959 and E980-E989, excluding E988.8 for the years 1988 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84 and Y10-Y34, excluding Y33.9 (where the Coroner's verdict was pending) for the years 2001 to 2007. (2) Figures include deaths of non-residents. (3) Suicide and undetermined intent deaths have not been included for children under the age of 15 years. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Unemployment

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds resident in each  (a) region,  (b) parliamentary constituency and  (c) local authority area were (i) unemployed and not in full-time education and (ii) economically inactive and not in full-time education in each (A) year since 1997 and (B) each month of the last five years for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many and what proportion of 16 to 24 year olds resident in each (a) region, (b) parliamentary constituency and (c) local authority area were (i) unemployed and not in full-time education and (ii) economically inactive and not in full-time education in each (A) year since 1997 and (B) each month of the last five years for which figures are available. (252908)
	Information in the form requested is not readily available and could only be compiled at disproportionate cost.

Unemployment

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many households contained no one in  (a) work and  (b) full-time work in each quarter of the last two years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question how many households contained no one in (a) work and (b) full-time work in each quarter of the last two years. (255125)
	The information available is provided in the attached table.
	Estimates are only available for the April to June and October to December quarters in the source used; the Labour Force Survey household data set. Estimates for October to December 2008 will be available on 25th February 2009.
	Figures for households are based on working age households. A working-age household is a household that includes at least one person of working-age, that is a woman aged 16 to 59 or a man aged 16 to 64.
	The figures given for the April-June quarters are consistent with those published in the 'Work and worklessness among households' First Releasesee web link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/work0807.pdf
	It is vital to note that, as with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty, as different samples give different results.
	
		
			  Number of working-age households( ) where no-one is in work and no-one is in full-time work( 2, ) United Kingdom, not seasonality adjusted 
			  Thousand 
			   No-one in work  No-one in full-time work 
			 Oct-Dec 2006 3,074 4,782 
			 Apr-Jun 2007 3,071 4,792 
			 Oct-Dec 2007 3,054 4,747 
			 Apr-Jun 2008 3,056 4,766 
			 (1) A working-age household is a household containing at least one man aged 16 to 64 or women aged 16 to 59. (2) Where no member aged 16 or over is in employment/full-time employment.  Note: Figures have been adjusted to include estimates for households with unknown economic activity.  Source: Labour Force Survey households datasets

Unemployment: Sutton

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people aged between 18 and 24 years old were claiming jobseeker's allowance in each of the last five years in Sutton and Cheam.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people aged between 18 and 24 years old were claiming jobseeker's allowance in each of the last five years in Sutton and Cheam. (255371)
	Table 1 shows the number of 18-24 year olds, resident in Sutton and Cheam parliamentary constituency, who were claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance in each month from January 2004 to December 2008.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number( 1)  of claimants of jobseeker's allowance aged 18 to 24 years in Sutton and Cheam parliamentary constituency 
			   Number 
			 January 2004 155 
			 February 2004 170 
			 March 2004 165 
			 April 2004 140 
			 May 2004 155 
			 June 2004 145 
			 July 2004 150 
			 August 2004 155 
			 September 2004 150 
			 October 2004 155 
			 November 2004 155 
			 December 2004 150 
			   
			 January 2005 180 
			 February 2005 190 
			 March 2005 195 
			 April 2005 175 
			 May 2005 165 
			 June 2005 170 
			 July 2005 210 
			 August 2005 220 
			 September 2005 220 
			 October 2005 240 
			 November 2005 225 
			 December 2005 215 
			   
			 January 2006 210 
			 February 2006 220 
			 March 2006 215 
			 April 2006 230 
			 May 2006 220 
			 June 2006 215 
			 July 2006 225 
			 August 2006 205 
			 September 2006 240 
			 October 2006 215 
			 November 2006 185 
			 December 2006 160 
			   
			 January 2007 165 
			 February 2007 180 
			 March 2007 190 
			 April 2007 185 
			 May 2007 155 
			 June 2007 150 
			 July 2007 175 
			 August 2007 185 
			 September 2007 195 
			 October 2007 175 
			 November 2007 165 
			 December 2007 150 
			   
			 January 2008 170 
			 February 2008 175 
			 March 2008 170 
			 April 2008 135 
			 May 2008 135 
			 June 2008 140 
			 July 2008 165 
			 August 2008 200 
			 September 2008 210 
			 October 2008 205 
			 November 2008 205 
			 December 2008 235 
			 (1) Data are rounded to the nearest 5.

Voluntary Work

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1126-27W, on v, how many  (a) full-time,  (b) part-time and  (c) short-term opportunities have been created by v to date; and how many volunteers on average have filled each of these opportunity types.

Kevin Brennan: Up to the end of January 2009 v had created over 875,000 opportunities to volunteer and 311,000 had been completed by volunteers. This is an increase from the 251,000 volunteers that had completed opportunities by the end of September 2008.
	The following table provides a breakdown of opportunities commissioned and completed by the type of opportunity:
	
		
			  Type of opportunity  Opportunities commissioned  Opportunities completed 
			 Full-time 17,000 5,000 
			 Part-time 400,000 165,000 
			 Short-term 458,000 141,000 
			 Total 875,000 311,000 
		
	
	Volunteering opportunities can play a hugely important role in enabling people to develop new skills and improve their employment prospects. In recognition of this, today the Government are publishing 'Real Help for Communities: Volunteers, Charities and Social Enterprises', a 42.5 million plan to support the third sector to deliver real help to people, communities and businesses during the recession. The plan contains a volunteer brokerage scheme for unemployed people which will create over 40,000 opportunities to learn new skills and give back to communities through volunteering. Copies of 'Real Help for Communities: Volunteers, Charities and Social Enterprises' have been placed in the Library of the House.

TRANSPORT

Bus Services: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much of the funding allocated to Chorley Borough Council for concessionary bus travel in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08 was used on (a) concessionary travel, (b) subsidy to bus routes and (c) other purposes.

Paul Clark: In 2006-07 and 2007-08 funding for the statutory minimum bus concession was provided exclusively through the Formula Grant system, which is administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
	Formula grant is an unhypothecated block grant i.e. local authorities are free to spend it on any services provided (not just transport services) that meet their statutory obligations. This enables local authorities to decide on their own priorities based on local requirements.
	It is not possible to identify how much formula grant has been allocated to a local authority for any particular service. This single pot of non-ring fenced funding allows local authorities to decide on their own priorities and provides an incentive for them to maximise value for money.

Bus Services: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received a request for a meeting with representatives of Chorley Borough Council to discuss the national concessionary bus fares scheme.

Paul Clark: holding answer 2 February 2009
	No request has been received from representatives of Chorley borough council. However, departmental officials have recently been to Lancashire county council to discuss the council's issues with funding for concessionary travel,
	The Secretary of State will shortly be meeting with a north-west MP (the right hon. Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack)), and I have also met a number of parliamentary colleagues to discuss this issue. I will be happy to meet with any other members who are concerned about funding for concessionary travel in their area.

Bus Services: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much grant Chorley Borough Council received for the national concessionary bus travel scheme for 2008-09.

Paul Clark: holding answer 2 February 2009
	Chorley borough council will receive special grant funding of 280,000 in 2008-09 for the improvement to statutory concessionary travel to England-wide, which was implemented on 1 April last year. This additional grant represents 33 per cent. increase on outturn expenditure by Chorley in 2007-08 on concessionary fares. This is in addition to its existing funding for concessionary travel which is provided through formula grant. It is not possible to identify the precise amount received by each authority for concessionary fares from formula grant.

Bypasses: Finance

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for which bypasses his Department funded the construction in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The following table lists bypass schemes which have been completed in each of the last 10 years by either the Highways Agency or the relevant local highway authorities.
	
		
			   Scheme 
			 1999 Dudley Southern Bypass, West Midlands 
			  Coalfields Link Road Phase 1, Barnsley 
			  Leeds Inner Ring Road, Stage 6, Leeds 
			  A30/A35 Puddleton Bypass (DBFO) 
			  A564 Derby Southern Bypass Contract B 
			   
			 2000 A617 Rainworth Bypass, Nottinghamshire 
			   
			 2001 A174 Skelton and Brotton Bypass 
			  Burntwood Bypass Phase 1 and 2, Staffordshire 
			  A151 Weston Bypass , Lincolnshire 
			  C541 Addlethorpe Bypass and Bends Improvement, Lincolnshire 
			   
			 2002 A143 Broome-Ellingham, Essex 
			  A131 Great Leighs, Essex 
			  A6023 Denaby Main Diversion, Doncaster 
			  A511 Ashby Bypass Stage 2, Leicestershire 
			  A27 Polegate Bypass, East Sussex 
			  A43 Silverstone Bypass (A43 M40 to B4031 Dualling), Northamptonshire 
			  A43 Whitfield Turn to Brackley Hatch Improvement (A43 M40 to B4031 Dualling), Northamptonshire 
			  A6 Clapham Bypass, Bedfordshire 
			  A66 Stainburn and Great Clifton Bypass, Cumbria 
			  Wyre Piddle Bypass, Worcestershire 
			  A428 Crick Bypass, Northamptonshire (Developer Funded) 
			   
			 2003 A350 Semington-Melksham Diversion, Wilsthire 
			  Barnsley Coalfields Link Road (aka Shafton Bypass) 
			  A6 Great Glen Bypass, Leicestershire 
			  A53 Hodnett Bypass, Shropshire 
			  A5 Nesscliffe Bypass, Shropshire 
			  A500 Basford, Hough and Shavington Bypass, Cheshire 
			  A6 Rothwell-Desborough Bypass, Northamptonshire 
			  A6 Rushden and Higham Ferrers Bypass, Northamptonshire 
			  A6 Alvaston Bypass, Derbyshire 
			  A650 Bingley Relief Road, Yorkshire 
			  A4146 Stoke Hammond and Linslade Bypass (Northern Section), Buckinghamshire 
			  A41 Aston Clinton Bypass, Buckinghamshire 
			  A527 Biddulph Inner Bypass, Staffordshire 
			  Ashton-under-Lyne Northern Bypass Stage 1, Tameside 
			   
			 2004 St. Clements Way, Thurrock (aka West Thurrock Marshes Relief Road) 
			  A607 Rearsby Bypass, Leicestershire 
			  Mansfield Ashfield Regeneration Route, Nottinghamshire 
			  A63 Selby Bypass, North Yorkshire 
			  A10 Wadesmill to Colliers End Bypass, Hertfordshire 
			   
			 2005 A167 Chilton Bypass, Durham 
			  A21 Lamberhurst Bypass, Kent 
			  A47 Thorney Bypass, Norfolk 
			  A142 Fordham Bypass, Cambridgeshire 
			  Gloucester South West Bypass (Castlemeads section) 
			  A5 Weeford-Fazeley Improvement, Staffordshire 
			  A158 Coastal Access Improvement Phase 1Partney Bypass, Lincolnshire 
			  A428 West Haddon Bypass, Northamptonshire (Developer Funded) 
			  A57 Cadishead Way (Brinell Drive to City Boundary), Salford 
			  Burntwood Bypass Phase 3, Staffordshire 
			   
			 2006 A505 Baldock Bypass, Hertfordshire 
			  South Lowestoft Relief Road, Suffolk 
			  A421 Great Barford Bypass, Bedfordshire 
			   
			 2007 Barford Bypass, Warwickshire 
			  A58 Blackbrook Diversion, St. Helens, Merseyside 
			  A197 Pegswood Bypass, Northumberland 
			  A1198 Papworth Everard Bypass, Cambridgeshire 
			  A612 Gedling Integrated Transport Scheme, Nottinghamshire 
			  A429 Barford Bypass, Warwickshire 
			  Barnstaple Western Bypass, Devon 
			  A38 Northfield Regeneration Relief Road, Birmingham 
			  Rugeley Eastern Bypass Stage 2, Staffordshire 
			  A4146 Stoke Hammond and Linslade Western Bypass, Buckinghamshire 
			  Cradley Heath Town Centre Relief Road, Sandwell 
			  Sheffield Northern Inner Relief Road, Sheffield 
			  A158/C541 Coastal Access Improvement Scheme, Phase 2Burgh Le Marsh Bypass, Lincolnshire 
			  A165 Reighton Bypass, North Yorkshire 
			  Ridgmont Bypass and Woburn Link Road, Bedfordshire 
			  A66 Temple Sowerby Bypass and Improvements at Winderwath, Cumbria 
			   
			 2008 Tunstall Northern Bypass, Stoke 
			  A590 High and Low Newton Bypass, Cumbria 
			  A38 Dobwalls Bypass 
		
	
	This updates the table provided in my answer of 22 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 415-17W.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Road Traffic

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of projected levels of traffic on the Dartford Crossing in each of the next 10 years.

Paul Clark: Projected traffic level figures for individual years are not available but existing forecasts suggest that traffic levels may rise to between 170,000 and 190,000 vehicles per day by 2016.

Departmental Equality

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of staff in his Department have recorded their ethnicity  (a) in total and  (b) in each bargaining unit.

Geoff Hoon: The central Department and its agencies recorded the following percentage declared ethnicity  (a) in total and (b) in each bargaining unit as set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Staff in post on 31 March 2008  Percentage of staff who have declared their ethnicity 
			 Central Department 86.4 
			 Driving Standards Agency 94.4 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 93.3 
			 Government Car and Dispatch Agency 99.3 
			 Highways Agency 81.0 
			 Marine and Coastguard Agency 89.5 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 100.0 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 80.7 
			   
			 DFT (total) 88.7

Dredging: Thames Estuary

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the dredge in the Thames Estuary for the London Gateway Port channel is proposed to start; for what reason the dredge is to be carried out; what safeguards against disturbances of munitions will be in place; what the shortest distance is between the wreck of SS Richard Montgomery and the area affected by the dredge; who is to carry out the dredge; and what consultation took place with  (a) communities affected and  (b) users of the Thames Estuary before the proposal was finalised.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The timing of the proposed dredge is a matter for London Gateway Port Ltd., subject to completion of the statutory consent process. The dredge is required in order to accommodate deep sea container vessels serving the new London Gateway port.
	Standard dredging practice in the Thames Estuary established by the Port of London Authority covers matters such as handling the incidental lifting of munitions left on the sea bed. Magnetometer surveys have also been conducted in order to provide the best advance information.
	The shortest distance from the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery to the southern edge of the proposed channel is just over 2.2 kilometres. The shortest distance from the channel to the edge of the wreck exclusion zone is 2.1 kilometres.
	The choice of dredging contractor is an operational matter for London Gateway Port Ltd.
	A public inquiry took place in 2003. Subsequently London Gateway Port Ltd. has set up a Marine Ecological Advisory Group which includes representatives from the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Marine and Fisheries Agency, the Port of London Authority and the Kent and Essex Sea Fisheries Committee, to consider among other matters the impacts of dredging.

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions his Department has had with outside organisations to discuss policy on reducing the effect of the recession on matters within his Department's responsibility.

Geoff Hoon: I have had regular engagements with outside organisations, including relevant Government Departments, on a range of issues relating to the economy.

First Capital Connect: Opening Hours

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to oppose the application by First Capital Connect to reduce the opening hours of the ticket offices it operates; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: First Capital Connect has submitted their proposals under the procedures of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement, which is the approved industry process for such matters.
	First Capital Connect's proposals are currently under consultation. It would, therefore, be inappropriate to make any comment on them at present which may fetter the discretion of the Secretary of State if the proposals are referred by the operator for arbitration.

Freight: Grants

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the economic model against which freight facilities grant applications are assessed; when this economic model was last updated; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The principles of the economic model used for the assessment of freight facilities grant applications are outlined in Department for Transport publication Guide to Freight Facilities Grant (FFG) in England which was published in November 2006 and is currently being reviewed. The document can be downloaded free of charge from:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/freight/railfreight/rfg/freight facilitiesgrantguide.pdf.
	The purpose of the economic model is to ensure that grants are only awarded when there is a financial need for funding. Annex 4 of the aforementioned guide deals with the financial appraisal of FFGs and, in its first paragraph, states that:
	The main financial requirement for a FFG is that compared with the road alternative, the proposed rail or water scheme would not be financially justified without grant.... This can only be a general guide; it may not cover the entire issues specific to each application. The Department can offer help and advice on specific cases.

Freight: Grants

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average length of time taken to process a freight facilities grant application is; how many applicants waited  (a) more than six months,  (b) more than nine months and  (c) more than one year in the most recent five year period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has aimed to assess standard freight facilities grant (FFG) applications within four months and more complex applications within six months. However the time taken to assess applications depends on many factors, including the completeness of the initial data supporting the application. There is also the potential for further information being received from the applicant through the course of the assessment and the potential need by the Department for clarification, which inevitably takes time.
	In the past three years, the Department has assessed the following cases:
	
		
			  Year application received  Cases assessed within six months  Cases assessed within nine months  Cases assessed within one year 
			 2006 3 1 0 
			 2007 3 0 0 
			 2008 1 1 0 
		
	
	In addition, a further application was received in October 2008 which is currently being assessed.
	The process of applying for FFGs is currently being reviewed, with a view to shorten the time taken to assess applications and make the process clearer for applicants.

Freight: Grants

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many grant applications were made to the freight facilities grant scheme for each year since 2000; how many of those applications were successful; and what the average value was of each  (a) application and  (b) grant.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport and the then Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) do not keep details of every application submitted. Details are retained for each offer of grant made to successful applicants.
	The number of successful applications and the average value of grants awarded for each year since 2000 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Successful applications  Average value of grant awarded () 
			 2000 35 711,944 
			 2001 28 797,076 
			 2002 33 989,859 
			 2003 7 822,188 
			 2004 2 2,514,083 
			 2005 4 565,978 
			 2006 5 359,000 
			 2007 3 843,483 
			 2008 1 1,325,578 
		
	
	The SRA suspended the FFG programme for most rail projects in 2003, although grants continued to be available for aggregate-based facilities through the aggregates levy sustainability fund. FFGs were reintroduced for all rail schemes by the Department in 2007.

Freight: Grants

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total public resource allocated to the freight facilities grant scheme was for each year since 2000.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport and the then Strategic Rail Authority has allocated the following budget for Freight Facility Grants (FFGs) since 2000.
	
		
			  Freight facility grants: Budget 
			million 
			 2000-01 32 
			 2001-02 61.8 
			 2002-03 50.5 
			 2003-04 32.5 
			 2004-05 9.7 
			 2005-06 7 
			 2006-07 7 
			 2007-08 7 
			 2008-09 4 
			 2009-10 7 
			 2010-11 10 
			 2011-12 16 
			 2012-13 20 
			 2013-14 25 
		
	
	The SRA suspended the FFG programme for most rail projects in 2003, although grants continued to be available for aggregate-based facilities through the aggregates levy sustainability fund. FFGs were reintroduced for all rail schemes by the Department in 2007.
	Funding for the FFG programme was boosted in September 2008 with the announcement of a long-term increasing budget to provide certainty for potential applicants. This included 61 million of capital funding over three years from April 2011.

Heathrow Airport: Exhaust Emissions

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many flight hours were expended by commercial aircraft in 2007-08 in stacking while awaiting clearance to land at Heathrow; and how much carbon dioxide was emitted by those aircraft while stacked.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport's report, 'Improving the Air Passenger Experience', provides appropriate estimates of aircraft stacking above Heathrow in Figure 27 on page 25. This report is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/airports/improve airpassenqer.pdf
	Data for 2007-08 are not available. However, in 2006-07, aircraft were held in aggregate for 18,679 hours. This is based on 56 per cent. of arriving aircraft being held in a stack and an average 8.5 minute hold for those held. This equates to roughly 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted by aircraft stacking at Heathrow.

Heathrow Airport: Noise

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many individuals he estimates will live within the 57 decibel contour when the Heathrow third runway is expected to open.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Estimates of populations within the 57 decibel noise contour with a three-runway airport were presented in the November 2007 consultation document and supporting technical report on noise. Around 242,000 people are predicted to be within the 57 decibel contour in 2020 with around 605,000 annual movements, the maximum capacity we have supported initially. The new runway could open sooner with a lower capacity, but the timing and capacity will depend on the planning process and the mechanism we are establishing to ensure that local environmental limits, including noise limits are met, and will continue to be met.

Humber Bridge: Tolls

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which groups of people are exempt from paying tolls for crossing the Humber Bridge; what estimate he has made of the annual revenue forgone as a result of such exemptions; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: Concessions and exemptions are a matter for the Bridge Board. Exemptions are offered on a voluntary basis for certain disabled users (those on higher rate disability living allowance). Emergency services also receive exemption from tolls when on official duties.
	In addition, on 28 July 2006, the Humber Bridge Board announced that it would discount toll charges for the local bus service (the X1) by 45 per cent. until the end of March 2008 to ensure it would continue to offer a service over the bridge. This concession remains in place and is subject to periodic review.
	No estimation has been made by the Department for Transport for the amount of annual revenue forgone as a result of these exemptions.

M42: Lorries

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the findings were of the trial of heavy goods vehicle overtaking restrictions on the M42; what assessment he has made of those findings; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The trial overtaking restriction for HGVs introduced on the M42 between junctions 10 and 11 has shown that light vehicle journey times have reduced and that HGV journey times remained unchanged in the morning peak but decreased at other times. The proportion of HGVs using lane 2 has reduced significantly.
	Although the results of the trial have not offered dramatic journey time savings, the Government believe that it would be beneficial to make the M42 restriction permanent as a useful tool in helping the Highways Agency to meet journey time reliability targets.

M48 Severn Crossing

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the future of the M48 Severn Crossing; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: Legislation provides for the concession to last a maximum of 30 years and is due to end in 2022. But it may end sooner if certain financial objectives are met. Current estimates are that those objectives will have been met around 2016, when costs are expected to have been recovered.
	Once the concession ends the undertaking will pass to the Government, which then has the power to charge tolls for up to a further five years. No decisions have been taken with regard to tolls beyond 2016, or whenever the concession period ends.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the European Commission in relation to the alleged breaches of its legal duties referred to in paragraph four of his Department's letter to consultees in respect of its Consultation on Replacement Pollution Control Devices for Motor Vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There have been no discussions with the European Commission on the delay to implementation of the EU legislation referred to the Department's letter.
	The Department for Transport regrets the delay which has occurred in implementing the necessary point of sale controls and is seeking to remedy this. It is worth noting, however, that the EU regulations which set the standards to be met by new replacement pollution control devices for cars and vans have direct applicability on manufacturers.

Parking Offences

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of vehicles which have been impounded by the police because of accurate insurance details not being held on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency database.

Jim Fitzpatrick: All motor vehicle insurance details are held on the insurance industry's motor insurance database (MID) and it is the insurance industry's responsibility to provide data to it.
	The number of vehicles wrongly identified by the police as being driven uninsured based on information from the MID and impounded is not known. However, such cases are thought to be rare. The MIB supplements the database with a dedicated police helpline which the police can use in cases of doubt, e.g. if a driver claims he took out insurance very recently. This enables a direct check to be made with the claimed insurer.

Railway Network

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to identify corridors for potential future rail use; and what steps he is taking to safeguard the routes of disused railway lines.

Paul Clark: holding answer 3 February 2009
	Network Rail's strategic review of the case for new rail lines is considering five of Network Rail's strategic routes north and west of London: Chiltern, East Coast, West Coast, Great Western and Midland main lines. Initial results from this review suggest a future need for a new line between London and the West Midlands. To take forward the detailed work needed to make a firm decision on this, the company High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd. has been created.
	Local and regional authorities can use planning processes to protect sites or alignments if they deem this appropriate. In addition, we have used our national safeguarding powers in cases such as Crossrail and consideration will be given to more specific use of these powers as our long term transport planning advances.

Railways: Disabled

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to provide high-quality and integrated disabled passenger assistance on the rail network.

Paul Clark: The Railways for All strategy, published in March 2006, identifies the importance of improved information, ticketing and assistance to improving access to the railway network.
	Front-line railway staff are trained in disability awareness and will always endeavour to help disabled customers. Assistance can also be booked in advance using the Assisted Passenger Reservation Service (APRS) which is owned and maintained by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC).
	Access for All funding of 280,000 has already been provided to ATOC towards development of staff training materials, and a programme of station access audits to improve the quality of information available through the National Rail Enquiry Service.
	In addition the 370 million Access for All programme is making enhancements to railway stations which help to promote independent travel for disabled people.
	In light of passenger feedback, and in particular the recent Passenger Focus report into Assisted Passenger Reservation Service bookings, published in September 2008, the Department for Transport intends to work with the industry to address potential areas for improvement to the Assisted Passenger Reservation Service system, and to identify what resources may be available to support this.

Railways: Fares

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Lewes of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 148, which rail fares have reduced because of the capping system.

Paul Clark: holding answer 3 February 2009
	 The Department for Transport does not hold this information. The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) does however track all rail fares, and reports on the high level results on a quarterly basis. The ORR can be contacted for more information at the following address:
	Office of Rail Regulation
	One Kemble Street
	London WC2B 4AN

Railways: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department provides to regional and local authorities to plan and implement expenditure on new rail stations and lines.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not provide any funding to regional and local authorities specifically for the purposes of identifying and investing in opportunities for new rail stations and lines.
	However, local authorities are free to use their revenue support grant for studies into new stations and lines and financially support new services. They can also use Local Transport Plan (LTP) integrated transport block funding for investing in new stations or lines. The region can also prioritise rail schemes for capital funding from within their regional funding allocation.

Railways: South East

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions  (a) he and  (b) Ministers in his Department have held with the South West Regional Development Agency on rail transport in the last 12 months; and with what outcomes.

Paul Clark: Neither the Secretary of State nor any other Minister in the Department for Transport has had discussions with the South West Regional Development Agency on rail transport in the last 12 months.

Railways: Tickets

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the ticketing and settlement agreement produced by his Department.

Paul Clark: The ticketing and settlement agreement is a commercial document and is the property of the Association of Train Operating Companies. For this reason, there are no plans to place a copy in the Library of the House of Commons.

Roads: Accidents

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department  (a) has undertaken,  (b) plans to undertake and  (c) has evaluated on the number of (i) minor, (ii) serious and (iii) fatal road accidents where speed was a contributory factor which drew on (A) UK and (B) international research; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Since 2005 a report on the contributory factors, including speed, reported by police officers who attend personal injury collisions has been published as part of Road Casualties Great Britain. The DFT-funded On The Spot (OTS) study involves additional non-police investigation of road collisions to explore the characteristics of personal injury collisions in depth. The OTS study is currently examining the characteristics of crashes that involve excessive or inappropriate speed.
	In addition, there is a wide range of research on the link between speed and casualties which may be found on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/
	For example, the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) published a review of non-UK studies in 1994 which established a link between vehicle speed and the risk of a collision. This indicated that, in broad terms, a 1 mph reduction in average speed can reduce accident risk by around 5 per cent. In 2000 TRL published a report investigating whether this general rule could be applied to different types of UK roads and to further understand the relationship between vehicle speed and accident frequency. The report concluded that the percentage reduction in accident frequency for a 1 mph reduction in average speed is between 2 per cent. and 7 per cent. depending on vehicle speeds and the nature and layout of the road.

Rolling Stock

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many contracts have been signed for new rolling stock in each month since the Rolling Stock Plan was published; what the  (a) value of each contract and  (b) company with which each contract was held was; and how much additional rolling stock each contract represented.

Paul Clark: Please see the table for detail of contracts:
	
		
			   Number  (a) Estimated value ( million)  (b) Company  Rolling Stock 
			 January 2008 1 11 Bombardier 8 DMU vehicles 
			 February 2008 0
			 March 2008 1 57 Bombardier 44 EMU vehicles 
			 April 2008 0
			 May 2008 0
			 June 2008 0
			 July 2008 0
			 August 2008 0
			 September 2008 1 269 Alstom 106 EMU vehicles 
			 October 2008 0
			 November 2008 0
			 December 2008 0
		
	
	255 of the HLOS carriages were on order when the rolling stock plan was published in January 2008, bringing the total now in order to 423.

Speed Limits

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many roads in  (a) Leicester East constituency and  (b) England have a speed limit of 20 mph.

Jim Fitzpatrick: This information is not held by the Department. Local traffic authorities are responsible for setting local speed limits and have had powers to introduce 20 mph speed limits and 20 mph zones without seeking the approval of the Secretary of State since 1999. There is no requirement for local authorities to inform the Department when a speed limit is changed.

Speed Limits: Advertising

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Government has spent on television and radio advertisements to reduce speeding in  (a) the last 12 months and  (b) the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Speeding is a major factor in road safety, contributing to 727 deaths in 2007. Measures to prevent speeding on our roads are in the fields of enforcement, engineering and education including advertising.
	The following table provides the amount spent on television and radio advertisements to reduce speed in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  TV and radio media spend 
			  000 
			   TV  Radio 
			 2004-05 1,186 477 
			 2005-06 1,223 496 
			 2006-07 1,492 547 
			 2007-08 1,853 783 
			 2008-09(1) 1,815 459 
			 (1) Forecast expenditure.

Speed Limits: Cameras

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what alternatives to enforcement cameras are available to reduce the speed of motor vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Speeding is a major factor in road safety, contributing to 727 deaths in 2007.
	Traffic calming measures are available to local highway authorities to reduce vehicle speeds on their roads. It is for the local authority to decide which measure would be the most effective in achieving safe and appropriate vehicle speeds in their area based on their knowledge of the local road network.
	The Department for Transport provides guidance to local highways authorities on a wide range of traffic calming measures designed to reduce vehicle speeds in a variety of circumstances. The Department's latest technical guidance on traffic calming, Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/07 Traffic Calming, was published in March 2007. This provides local authorities with advice on the design and use of traffic calming measures and brings together in one comprehensive document a summary of relevant research.

Speed Limits: Cameras

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras are in use in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) Essex and  (c) Southend.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 3 February 2009
	I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Mr. Stuart) on 28 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 537-38W. It should be noted that separate information for Southend is not held.

Speed Limits: Cameras

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of speed cameras in improving road safety in Southend.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 3 February 2009
	The Department for Transport has not assessed the effectiveness of speed cameras in improving road safety in Southend. However, cameras operated by the Essex Safety Camera Partnership under the National Safety Camera Programme which ended on 31 March 2007 have proved to be very effective. Fatal casualties decreased by an average of 43 per cent. at fixed camera sites and killed or seriously injured casualties decreased by an average of 51 per cent. At mobile camera sites fatal casualties reduced by 42 per cent. and killed or seriously injured casualties decreased by an average of 22 per cent.

SS Richard Montgomery

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the state of the wreck of SS Richard Montgomery in the Thames Estuary.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The most recent assessment of the wreck was made in October 2008 using a high resolution multibeam sonar survey and laser scanning techniques. The data gathered during this exercise are now being analysed.

SS Richard Montgomery

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on proposals to dredge the River Thames in the vicinity of the wreck of SS Richard Montgomery; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 5 February 2009
	It is not proposed to dredge the River Thames in the vicinity of the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery.

Taunton-Penzance Railway Line: Electrification

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made an assessment of  (a) the advantages and  (b) the disadvantages of electrification of the main railway line between Taunton and Penzance; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: Electrification makes most sense on busier routes, such as the Midland main line and parts of the Great Western main line, where the high cost of installing new electrification infrastructure can be offset by the lower costs of running electric trains.
	A cross-industry working group led by Network Rail is assessing the case for electrifying a wide range of lines. The group is expected to publish its conclusions at the end of March.

Train Operating Companies

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what representations have been made to him by the Association of Train Operating Companies in support of changes to franchise service level commitments that would allow a reduction in services;
	(2)  what subjects were discussed at his meeting with representatives of the Association of Train Operating Companies on 20 January 2009.

Paul Clark: The Secretary of State has regular meetings with representatives of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and the train operating companies themselves. The 20 January meeting, as is usually the case, covered a range of issues that affect the railway. ATOC have made no representations to reduce services by way of alterations to existing franchise service level commitments.

Transport: Costs

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much transport infrastructure maintenance cost the public purse in each year from 2003 to 2008.

Paul Clark: The following details Department for Transport grants to local authorities for maintenance of local roads and detrunking programmes.
	
		
			million 
			 2007-08 818 
			 2006-07 757 
			 2005-06 742 
			 2004-05 715 
			 2003-04 622 
		
	
	In 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 DfT also provided Nexus with capital grants of 4.180 million, 4.305 million, 4.391 million respectively for maintenance and renewals on the Tyne and Wear Metro. For previous years, funding was provided as a single grant for revenue with no separately identifiable maintenance element.
	In addition to the funding detailed, local authorities receive other funding through various Government grants, business rates and council taxes. How much of this funding is spent on maintaining transport infrastructure or other public services is a matter for local decisions. The Department for Communities and Local Government publishes a set of tables detailing local authority expenditure using information collected directly from local authorities.
	DfT also provides revenue and capital support to the rail industry, which is in the private sector. This funding is not generally linked to particular areas of spending, and so it is not possible to produce a figure for the amount of the funding support that is for infrastructure maintenance.
	
		
			  Highways Agency 
			million 
			 2007-08 879 
			 2006-07 850 
			 2005-06 852 
			 2004-05 732 
			 2003-04 726 
		
	
	The expenditure figures are for maintenance on the strategic road network managed and maintained by the Highways Agency. This includes renewal of the road surface and repairs to structures, as well as routine maintenance such as gully clearing, white lining, cleaning and winter maintenance. Costs excluded are those associated with our PFI contracts and our traffic and incident management service.
	Expenditure figures have been adjusted to account for spend relating to roads trunked or detrunked in the financial year.

Transport: Repairs and Maintenance

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what projects his Department has undertaken to extend public transport infrastructure since 2003; and what measures have been taken to ensure that the infrastructure is adequately maintained over that period.

Paul Clark: The following table gives a breakdown of all Local Major Public Transport schemes supported by the Department for Transport. It does not include improvements to, or extensions of the road network, unless these are specifically for the purposes of public transport. Officials are in regular communication with local authority counterparts and measures are included in agreements of funding to ensure that maintenance is satisfactory. My earlier answer (UIN 235182) also showed the considerable amount of money that the Department provides for maintenance of the existing network.
	
		
			  Scheme  Promoter  Total ( million)  DfT Cont. ( million)  Status 
			 A612 Gedling Integrated Transport Scheme (mainly road but includes bus plug) Nottinghamshire CC 11.664 7.490 Complete 2007 
			 A638 Quality Bus Corridor Doncaster MBC 20.410 15.319 Under Construction 
			 A64 Guided Bus Leeds CC 10.000 5.000 Complete 2001 
			 A641 Guided Bus Bradford MDC 10.500 5.800 Complete 2002 
			 Barnsley Interchange South Yorkshire PTE 24.300 18.330 Complete 2007 
			 Birmingham International Airport/NEC Solihull MBC 11.800 11.113 Full Approval Granteddue to commence construction 
			 Blackpool and Fleetwood Tramway Emergency Works Blackpool BC 11.700 10.600 Complete 2008 
			 Cambridgeshire Guided Busway Cambridgeshire CC 116.27 92.5 Under Construction 
			 CentreLink Nexus/Gateshead 29.0 17.3 Completed 2005 
			 Coleshill Parkway Warwickshire CC 8.514 4.100 Completed 2007 
			 Coventry Bus Network (Primelines) Coventry Council 30.880 24.480 Completed 2008 
			 Doncaster Interchange South Yorkshire PTE PFI PFI Complete 2006 
			 Durham Park and Ride Durham CC 11.3 9.2 Completed 2005 
			 Eldon Square Bus Station Nexus (T and W PTE) 16.7 11.0 Completed 2008 
			 Fastrack Kent CC 15.00 14.50 Completed 2006 
			 Fastway West Sussex CC 28.86 19.46 Completed 
			 Four Lane Ends Interchange Nexus (T and W PTE) 7.6 7.6 Completed 2004 
			 Getting Northampton to Work Northamptonshire CC 12.48 7.98 Under Construction 
			 Greater Bristol Bus Network West of England 70.310 42.343 Under Construction 
			 Greater Manchester Urban Traffic Control Greater Manchester Authorities 13.600 13.600 Under construction. 
			 Hagley Road Bus Showcase West Midlands 14.145 9.640 Under Construction 
			 Integrated A3 Bus Priority Corridor Hampshire CC 34.215 25.10 Completed 2008 
			 Liverpool South Parkway Merseytravel 32 6.320 Completed 2006 
			 Manchester Metrolink Phase 1 and 2 Capacity and Renewals GMPTE 102 58 Under Construction 
			 Manchester Metrolink Phase 3a GMPTE 575 244.3 Under Construction 
			 Masshouse Circus Birmingham CC 19.834 19.834 Completed 2003 
			 North West Taunton Package (scheme includes a Park and Ride facility) Somerset CC 15.339 11.667 Under Construction 
			 Northern Orbital QBC GMPTE 9.400 4.300 Completed 
			 Norwich Bus Station and Improved public transport connections to Rail station Norfolk CC 9.553 9.553 Completed 2005 
			 Nottingham Express Transit Line 1 Consortium (including Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire CC) PFI PFI Completed 2004 
			 Nuneaton Development Project Warwickshire CC 6.541 6.210 Completed 2008 
			 Outer Circle/Radial Routes West Midlands 11.099 10.443 Completed 2007 
			 Plymouth Northern Corridor Plymouth City Council 14.287 11.250 Completed 
			 Quay Link Nexus (T and W PTE) 7.7 4.7 Completed 2004 
			 Red Routes Package 1 West Midlands 28.000 28.000 Under Construction 
			 Ryde Interchange Isle of Wight Council 8.564 6.20 Fully Approved but main construction not yet commenced. 
			 Salisbury Park and Ride Wiltshire CC 4.181 3.200 Under Construction 
			 Scarborough Integrated Transport Scheme North Yorkshire CC 31.436 29.786 Under Construction 
			 Sheaf Square Sheffield CC 23.180 6.780 Complete 2006 
			 South East Manchester Quality Bus Corridor Network GMPTE 23 23 Under Construction. DfT approved bid in 2003. Corridors are being delivered on an individual basis. 
			 Stephenson's Link Nexus (T and W PTE) 12.6 6.4 Construction substantially complete -final completion due 2009 
			 Sunderland Direct Nexus (T and W PTE) 103.0 37.5 Completed 2002 
			 Turning Point Nottingham City Council 11.7 11.7 Completed 2007 
			 Walsall Town Centre Transport Package Walsall MBC 26.210 16.622 Under Construction 
			 Warrington Urban Traffic Control Warrington BC 5.100 1.050 Completed 2006 
			 Warrington Bus Interchange Warrington BC 8.500 1 Completed 2006 
			 West Midlands UTC West Midlands 26.600 26.600 Full Approval Granted -due to commence construction 
			 Wolverhampton Centre Access Scheme Wolverhampton CC 17.500 13.000 Under Construction 
			 Yellow Bus West Yorkshire PTE 18.704 18.704 Completed 2008 
			 Yorcard Pilot South Yorkshire PTE 9.316 4.000 In Progress

Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of leisure journeys by  (a) rail,  (b) car and  (c) bus or coach were made by people aged (i) under 16, (ii) between 18 and 19, (iii) between 20 and 24, (iv) between 25 and 34, (v) between 35 and 44, (vi) between 45 and 59, (vii) between 60 and 64, (viii) between 65 and 69 and (ix) 70 years and over in each year since 1997.

Paul Clark: The figures provided as follows are from the National Travel Survey and reflect the percentage of leisure journeys made in Great Britain by age and main mode from 1996-98 to 2006. The National Travel Survey is readily available from:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/personal/mainresults/nt S2006/
	
		
			  Leisure trips by age and main mode, Great Britain, 1996 - 98 to 2006 
			  Percentage/number 
			   Years   
			   0-16  17-19  20-24  25-34  35-44  45-59  60-64  65-69  70+  Total  Unweighted sample size (trips) 
			  Surface rail
			 1996 to 2001 16 6 15 21 13 13 3 4 8 100 2,165 
			 2002 to 2006 14 7 14 20 13 15 4 4 7 100 5,798 
			 
			  Car (driver and passenger)
			 1996-98 20 4 8 18 14 19 5 5 7 100 80,001 
			 1997-99 20 4 7 18 14 20 5 5 7 100 77,714 
			 1998-2000 20 3 6 17 15 20 5 5 8 100 78,801 
			 1999-2001 21 3 6 16 15 20 6 5 8 100 82,776 
			 2002 22 3 6 14 16 21 5 5 8 100 60,998 
			 2003 22 3 5 14 16 20 6 5 8 100 68,477 
			 2004 22 4 6 12 16 20 6 5 9 100 67,817 
			 2005 23 3 6 13 15 19 6 5 9 100 72,046 
			 2006 23 3 6 12 15 20 6 6 8 100 70,165 
			 
			  Bus and coach
			 1996-98 22 6 7 13 9 11 6 8 20 100 5,318 
			 1997-99 21 6 7 13 10 11 7 7 18 100 5,040 
			 1998-2000 20 8 7 11 9 12 7 8 18 100 5,057 
			 1999-2001 20 8 8 11 9 14 7 7 17 100 5,237 
			 2002 23 10 11 14 7 11 5 5 15 100 3,889 
			 2003 23 8 10 11 9 12 6 5 15 100 4,874 
			 2004 21 9 10 10 9 14 5 6 16 100 4,685 
			 2005 20 8 11 12 9 13 6 6 14 100 4,703 
			 2006 22 9 9 11 8 12 5 7 16 100 4,859 
			  Notes: 1. Leisure includes: Visiting friends at private home, visiting friends elsewhere, entertainment/public activity, sport: participate, holiday: base, day trip and other inc. just walk.  2. The sample size of the National Travel Survey was increased from 2002 which enables single years to be presented. Prior to 2002 data are shown for three year periods because of the smaller sample sizes, and for surface rail a larger number of survey years have been aggregated due to the small number of these types of trips. 
		
	
	continued

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Agriculture: Research

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has allocated for agricultural research and development in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is a major funder of international agricultural research. Details for the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2003-04 29.6 
			 2004-05 37.7 
			 2005-06 35.6 
			 2006-07 35.3 
			 2007-08 38.3

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the  (a) recent humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and  (b) adequacy of the (i) UK's and (ii) international community's long-term aid efforts; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The humanitarian situation remains grave with up to 1.3 million displaced in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and many conflict affected communities in need of emergency assistance. According to the UN, almost 130,000 people in Province Orientale have been recently displaced by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) attacks and almost 300 killed in January as Joint DRC/Ugandan/South Sudan military operations are underway. There are also Joint Rwandan and DRC military operations in North Kivu to tackle the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR). Humanitarian access and protection of civilians remain key areas of concern. John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary General and Emergency Relief Co-ordinator will be visiting DRC between 6-10 February to assess the humanitarian response and protection concerns in North Kivu and Province Oriental.
	The UK Government are a major donor to DRC and will provide 230 million between 2009-10 and 2010-11. We have developed a development programme which responds to the needs and constraints of the country, balancing meeting short-term needs (e.g. humanitarian assistance) with helping to lay the foundation for long-term development. We have worked closely with the international community to develop a joint donor framework and donor co-ordination is slowly improving. Given the high levels of poverty DRC remains under-funded overall. However, there are currently significant operational constraints to absorbing further aid.

Departmental Overtime

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department paid to staff in overtime payments in each of the last three financial years.

Douglas Alexander: The cost of overtime payments paid to DFID staff in each of the last three financial years is as follows:
	
		
			   Cost of overtime payments to DFID staff () 
			 2005-06 406,602.71 
			 2006-07 392,890.25 
			 2007-08 482,712.51

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions his Department has had with outside organisations to discuss policy on reducing the effect of the recession on matters within his Department's responsibility.

Gareth Thomas: Ministers and Officials at the Department for International Development (DFID) have regular engagements with outside organisations including relevant Government Departments on a range of issues relating to the economy.

Equality

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who in his Department  (a) has line management responsibility for the Director General Diversity Champion and  (b) is responsible for making diversity plans publicly available.

Ivan Lewis: Line management responsibility for the Director General Diversity Champion in the Department for International Development rests with the Permanent Secretary. A diversity team in Human Resources Division is responsible for ensuring that the Department's diversity plans are published on our external website.

India: Irrigation

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has given to major irrigation projects in the Andhra Pradesh region of India.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not provided any funding in direct support of major irrigation projects in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
	However, DFID has provided 39 million to the Government of Andhra Pradesh for community-based water management through the Andhra Pradesh Rural Livelihoods Project (June 1999 to December 2007). Technical support, worth a further 147,000, has been provided to increase the ability of the Andhra Pradesh state Government irrigation department to effectively manage irrigation systems in the state.

Inland Waterways

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development to which UN-sponsored conventions on watercourses the UK  (a) is and  (b) is not a signatory; and what plans he has to sign such conventions to which the UK is not presently a signatory.

Michael Foster: There are two principal UN sponsored conventions that deal with freshwater: the UN Conventions of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (1997); and the UN Economic Commission for Europe, Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (1992).
	The UK has not signed, ratified or acceded to the UN Convention on the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses Convention and has no current plans to do so. To date, 16 countries have signed this convention (out of 35 required for it to enter into force) and there are 15 parties to the convention. DFID is currently working with WWF-UK to review the international architecture that supports water resources management, including the potential role for the convention.
	The UK is a signatory to the UN Economic Commission for Europe, Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, 1992, but has not ratified it. Ratification would be led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
	Other key conventions that make specific reference to water include the UN Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa (UNCCD). The UK signed the UNCCD in 1994 and ratified in 1996.

Malawi: Diplomatic Service

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the entertainment allowance was for his Department's office in Malawi in the last financial year for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development's Malawi office forecasted spend on office entertainment was 3,000 for the financial year 2007-08. Of this, 2,384 was spent.

TREASURY

Agriculture: Subsidies

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the UK's net financial contribution to funding the Common Agricultural Policy in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009 to 2011.

Ian Pearson: The United Kingdom makes its contributions to the EC Budget as a whole and not to individual expenditure areas within it. The Government publish forecasts of UK gross, after taking account of the UK abatement, and net contributions to the EC Budget in their annual European Community Finances White Paper. The 2009 White Paper will be published later this year and will include forecasts for the period 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Answer of 22 May 2008,  Official Report, column 434W, on apprentices, what progress has been made in increasing the number of apprentices in his Department and its agencies; and how many apprentices his Department and its agencies employ.

Angela Eagle: Since the previous question raised by the hon. Member, HM Treasury and its agencies have had no apprenticeships or advanced apprenticeships in place. Efforts are made to raise awareness of the programmes available and HM Treasury and its agencies will continue to seek to attract potential candidates to apprenticeship schemes including with our outsourced suppliers.
	Methods used to promote the advantages of the apprenticeships and trying to recruit to the Government Pathway scheme include circulating literature and holding promotional events with external suppliers. The lack of take-up can be attributed to the highly skilled workforce that is already in place. A recent sample of HM Treasury and Office of Government Commerce colleagues found 98.6 per cent. of respondents were qualified to level 2 or above. This suggests the pool of potential applicants for apprenticeships is relatively small.

Banks: Audit

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  which banks regulated by the Financial Services Authority received a qualified audit report on their 2007-08 accounts;
	(2)  which banks regulated by the Financial Services Authority bought consultancy services from their auditors in the last two years.

Ian Pearson: The information requested is published in the annual reports of the individual institutions and is available in the public domain.

Banks: Directors

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review the law on banking as it relates to  (a) the fiduciary duties of directors and  (b) the penalties for acting in ways which are negligent or reckless.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 22 January 2009
	It is important that any shortcomings identified in the management of banks are addressed to ensure proper governance of UK financial institutions.
	Recent improvements in practice and supervision include the changes proposed to the FSA's approved persons regime (CP08/25) that will better allow the FSA to assess the fitness and propriety of directors of parent holding companies that control major UK banks. The fiduciary duties of directors and the consequences of breach of these duties are set out in company law.

Banks: Finance

George Mudie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Statement of 13 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 539-472, on financial markets, which institutions have taken up  (a) the Government scheme for new lending between banks and  (b) the 37 billion made available for bank recapitalisation; and what assessment he has made of the effect of these arrangements on levels of inter-bank lending.

Ian Pearson: RBS Group plc, Lloyds TSB plc and HBOS Group plc have announced the terms on which they are participating in the Government's recapitalisation scheme. Details are set out in the Placing and Open Offer Agreements that are available in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.
	These banks are also eligible to use the Government's Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS), under which up to 250 billion of bank lending will be guaranteed. Participating banks have accessed some 100 billion of funding under the CGS so far. A list of participating institutions is published by the Debt Management Office at
	http://www.dmo.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=CGS/CGSEligible.
	Figures for individual banks are confidential. As the Chancellor of the Exchequer noted on 19 January, these guarantees have been successful in helping to bring down the inter-bank lending rate.

Banks: Government Assistance

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial sum the Government has allocated for the  (a) Special Liquidity Scheme,  (b) Credit Guarantee Scheme,  (c) Bank Recapitalisation Plan,  (d) Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme,  (e) Working Capital Scheme for SMEs,  (f) Enterprise Finance Guarantee,  (g) Capital for Enterprise Fund and  (h) Banking Plan; how much has been spent on each scheme to date; and whether the funding for each scheme will be provided from (a) borrowing and (b) quantitative easing.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 22 January 2009
	The breakdown of the allocations is as follows:
	 (a) At least 200 billion will be made available to banks in exchange for high quality assets. The Bank of England will disclose the final amount in due course.
	 (b) Up to 250 billion of bank lending will be guaranteed. These are not funds disbursed by the Governmentall guarantees provided under the Credit Guarantee Scheme are contingent liabilities. Participating banks have accessed some 100 billion of funding under the CGS so far.
	 (c) Up to 50 billion has been made available in the Government's recapitalisation scheme. The Government have invested 19.97 billion in RBS and 16.96 billion in Lloyds TSB/HBOS.
	 (d) The Government are still working on the final design of the scheme. 3million has provisionally been allocated for costs in 2008-09, with further allocations yet to be finalised. No funds have been spent on the scheme to date.
	 (e) The WCS scheme is designed to break even but in the event that additional costs arise, we have given BERR additional flexibility to manage its resources effectively. This will ensure that up to 225 million is available should any costs arise. No funds have been spent on the scheme to date.
	 (f) 130 million has been allocated to the scheme which has started lending to businesses from reprioritisation within the BERR's departmental expenditure limit (DEL) and access to the HMT Reserve. No funds have been spent on the scheme to date.
	 (g) Up to 50 million will be made available from within BERR's departmental expenditure limit. No funds have been spent on the scheme to date.
	 (h) Up to 50 billion will be made available under the Bank of England asset purchase facility. With respect to the Asset Protection Scheme, the Government will publish further details by the last week of February.
	Overall, the liabilities taken on will be backed by financial assets and fees will be charged for guarantees, safeguarding the taxpayers' interests.

Banks: Loans

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions since 2000 the accounts of a UK bank have been qualified by the auditors on grounds arising from concerns about loans made to  (a) entities and  (b) individuals overseas whose ability to repay was questionable.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 22 January 2009
	The directors of a UK financial institution are required to write down a loan in their accounts when they have doubts about the collectability of a loan (whether made to a domestic or offshore individual or entity).
	If the auditor believes directors have understated or inappropriately disclosed the write down it must provide an emphasis of matter (if inadequate) or qualification (if misleading) in its audit report.
	Audit reports and the qualifications they contain are published in conjunction with entities financial statements and filed at Companies House. No central database recording this class of audit qualifications is maintained.

Banks: Regulation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what statutory powers there are to disbar an individual from practising as a banker; and in what circumstances they may be used.

Ian Pearson: Anyone carrying on regulated activities (such as accepting deposits) must be authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
	Under section 56 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA), the FSA can make an order prohibiting an authorised person from performing a specified or any regulated activity if it appears that the authorised person is not a fit and proper person to perform the functions of that regulated activity. The FSA also have power, under section 45 of FSMA, to cancel an authorised person's permission to carry out a regulated activity (and subsequently to withdraw their authorised status under section 33) if the grounds in section 45(1) of FSMA are satisfied.
	Section 59 of FSMA sets out the requirement that a person carrying out a controlled function on behalf of an authorised person must be approved by the FSA. Under Section 63 of FSMA, the FSA may withdraw a person's approved status if it considers that the person is not fit and proper to perform the controlled function.

Bradford and Bingley: Mortgages

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated average date of redemption is of mortgages held as a result of the Bradford and Bingley acquisition.

Ian Pearson: The publicly-owned part of Bradford and Bingley is managed at arm's length from Government on commercial principles. It is a matter for the company's management to release specific business updates or provide any required disclosures in its annual report and accounts.

Child Tax Credit

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people have received child tax credits in  (a) the UK,  (b) the North East,  (c) the Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since they were introduced;
	(2)  how much was paid out in child tax credits in  (a) the UK,  (b) the North East,  (c) the Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since they were introduced.

Stephen Timms: Estimates of the average number of families benefiting from tax credits including information on average annual entitlements in each Government office region, local authority and parliamentary constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes, are available in the HMRC publication Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics Finalised annual awards. Geographical analyses, for each relevant year. These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm.

Child Trust Fund

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what average payment has been made by parents into existing child trust fund accounts in  (a) Houghton and Washington East constituency,  (b) Sunderland,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since the scheme's inception.

Ian Pearson: HMRC's Detailed Distributional Analysis, including details of average contributions made by parents and others in all years for which figures are available, was published on 6 November 2008. Geographically this data is only available at Government office region level and can be viewed on the HM Revenue and Customs' website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_trust_funds/dda-oct08.pdf.
	The average contribution into a Child Trust Fund account registered in England was 261 in 2006-07 and 283 in 2007-08.

Delivery Unit

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recommendations were made to the Prime Minister by the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit between 1 July and 31 December 2008.

Yvette Cooper: In line with normal practices regarding PMDU advice to Ministers, the unit's recommendations to the Chancellor are never put in the public domain.

Departmental Contracts

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 47-48WS, on departmental expenditure limit (2008-09), what consultancy work required a transfer of 250,000 to the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit; and what consultancy firm or firms carried out this work.

Yvette Cooper: When PMDU transferred from the Cabinet Office to HMT in 2007, the remit of the unit changed significantly to include development of PSA policy and oversight of the delivery of the 30 key government PSAs. The unit's budget and staff levels were increased to reflect these two additional responsibilities. The Cabinet Office agreed to make a 250,000 contribution to cover part of the additional staff costs. When the money was transferred to HMT it was recorded as being for consultancy when it should have been recorded as an increase in the staff budget.

Departmental Correspondence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters awaiting a reply from his Department have been waiting for more than his Department's target response period.

Angela Eagle: The Cabinet Office annually publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of departments in replying to Members' correspondence, which is available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Public Appointments

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of the public appointments for which his Department is responsible are due to be  (a) renewed and  (b) filled in the next 24 months; what the (i) remit, (ii) salary, (iii) political restriction, (iv) eligibility requirement and (v) timetable for each appointment is; and what records his Department keeps in respect of such appointments.

Angela Eagle: Information on appointments made by the Treasury is published in the annual departmental report, which can be accessed via the Treasury website:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk.
	More detailed information about individual appointments is set out in the relevant body's Annual Report. Vacancies may be advertised on the Cabinet Office Public Appointments website at
	www.publicappointments.gov.uk.
	The process for making a public appointment, including guidance on political activity and eligibility criteria, follows the Cabinet Office publication Making and Managing Public Appointments. For appointments regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the appointments process also complies with the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies. Copies are in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Recycling

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much  (a) paper,  (b) plastic and  (c) other waste was produced by his Department in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such waste was recycled.

Angela Eagle: HM Treasury is committed to recycling and reducing all forms of waste. Full information about waste and recycling, including volume by building, can be found in the HM Treasury Annual Report 2007-08, a copy of which can be found in the Library.

Departmental Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on digital media training courses provided by the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2008; how many such training sessions were held in 2008; and how many staff in his Department attended at least one such training course.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury's accounting system does not hold any record of spending with the Internet Advertising Bureau in 2007-08 or so far in the 2008-09 financial year.

Economic and Monetary Union

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Local Government Euro Preparations Working Group last met.

Ian Pearson: A meeting between local authorities and central Government officials to discuss euro preparations took place in September 2006.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review of the effect of his Department's alcohol excise policy on social clubs; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: As with all tax policy decisions, we will be monitoring the impact of alcohol duty increases on a range of factors, including retail outlets.

Excise Duties: Beer

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will freeze beer duty; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Decisions on alcohol duty rates will be made by the Chancellor as part of the Budget process.

Gold and Foreign Exchange Reserves

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how foreign currency swaps undertaken by the Bank of England are reported in official figures, with particular reference to reporting on foreign exchange reserves.

Ian Pearson: Foreign currency swaps undertaken by the Bank of England with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York are reported in the Bank Return (within 'other liabilities') and in Bank Stats (Table D5.2, Bank of England foreign currency liabilities, within 'other liabilities') published on the Bank's website. Such swaps do not form part of foreign exchange reserves.
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/bankreturn/2009/090121cs.pdf
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/ms/2007/Dec/tabd5.1.xls

Gold and Foreign Exchange Reserves

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the UK authorities activated their swap arrangements with  (a) the US Federal Reserve and  (b) the European Central Bank on Friday 10 October 2008.

Ian Pearson: On 10 October 2008 the Bank of England entered into an $8.484 billion overnight swap and a $29.998 billion one week swap with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Details can be found in the Bank of England market notice 'Result of US Dollar Repo Operations' of 10 October 2008.
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/markets/money/documentation/usdreporesult081010.pdf

Gold and Foreign Exchange Reserves

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what  (a) contractual and  (b) informal swap arrangements there are between the Bank of England and (i) the European Central Bank and (ii) the US Federal Reserve; what estimate he has made of the proportion of the UK financial system's short-term liabilities which could be covered by such arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Bank of England has a contractual swap arrangement with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The existing swap line is such that there is no fixed limit to the amount of dollar liquidity that can be supplied to the system.
	Details can be found in the Bank of England news releases 'Coordinated Central Bank Action to Improve US$ Liquidity' of 18 September, 'Coordinated Central Bank Action to Address Pressures in Global Money Markets' of 7 October, 'US Dollar Repo Operations' of 19 December, and market notice 'US Dollar Repo Operations' of 17 October 2008.
	Private swap arrangements with other central banks may be put in place in appropriate circumstances, but the details may be kept confidential between the parties concerned.
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/news/2008/054.htm
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/news/2008/065.htm
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/news/2008/130.htm
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/markets/marketnotice 081017b.pdf

Inheritance Tax

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the full-year cost to the Exchequer for  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11 and  (c) 2011-12 of raising the inheritance tax threshold to 1 million.

Stephen Timms: The cost of increasing the inheritance tax threshold to 1 million with effect from April 2009 is estimated at 500 million in 2009-10, 1.2 billion in 2010-11 and 1.3 billion in 2011-12.

Insolvency

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the loss to the economy caused by the insolvency of  (a) large and  (b) medium-sized businesses during the 2008-09 financial year; which businesses declared themselves insolvent during this period; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The Government publish two economic forecasts per year, which are based on all relevant forecast factors and evidence. Although consistent with other forecasters, the economic forecast does not include a forecast of insolvencies by large or medium-size businesses. The Government last published a forecast in the pre-Budget report 2008 (Cm 7484) on 24 November and will publish an updated forecast at Budget 2009.
	The Insolvency Service does not maintain a named list of insolvent companies. Companies House holds records of all registered companies on their registers, including those in insolvency and dissolution. However, these could not identify those which are large and medium-sized businesses, nor would a full record of all insolvent companies be available for the financial year 2008-09 until some time after the end of the year.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire dated 11 November 2008 on pay for PCS members.

Yvette Cooper: I replied to the hon. Member on 19 December. A further copy has been sent to his office.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire dated 14 October 2008 on small business costs, PO Ref: 1/61608/2008;
	(2)  when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire dated 6 November 2008 on charities, PO Ref: 1/62894/2008.

Ian Pearson: Due to the large volume of correspondence received on these issues there has been a delay in sending some responses. The Financial Services Secretary hopes to be in a position to reply to the hon. Member shortly.

Mortgages: Arrears

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of mortgage accounts that were in arrears on  (a) 1 April 2008,  (b) 1 June 2008 and  (c) 1 December 2008.

Ian Pearson: The Government do not hold these figures. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) publishes quarterly data on residential mortgage lending, covering the period from the first quarter of 2007, available at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Doing/Regulated/Returns/IRR/statistics/index.shtml.

Pensions: Private Sector

John Mason: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on private pensions of the recent stock market downturn.

Ian Pearson: The effect on private pensions of the recent stock market downturn varies with the share of assets individual schemes assign to equities. In general UK pension funds have substantially reduced their exposure to equities in recent years.
	The Government have taken a number of steps to support good quality pension provision and are committed to helping scheme sponsors through this difficult time within the framework provided by the Pensions Regulator and the Pension Protection Fund.
	We will continue to work with groups representing pension schemes, employers and scheme members to consider what further steps can be taken to support schemes.

Public Bodies: Finance

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many organisations providing public services in Wales have received a total of 200,000 or more from public funds in the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: In devolved areas of spending it is for the Welsh Assembly government to decide what organisations it funds. In reserved areas of spending it is for the relevant Government Department to decide what organisations it funds.

Public Works Loan Board

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was owed to the Public Works Loan Board at the end of each of the last five financial years by  (a) the Scottish Government and  (b) parish councils in England.

Angela Eagle: The Public Works Loan Board lends only to local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales, therefore the Scottish Government has no outstanding debt with the PWLB.
	The balance outstanding to the Public Works Loan Board in respect of parish and town councils in England at the end of each of the last five years was as follows:
	
		
			   Balance of principal () 
			 2003-04 66,237,455.29 
			 2004-05 69,267,400.71 
			 2005-06 75,419,106.37 
			 2006-07 77,340,091.21 
			 2007-08 81,016,768.50

Public Works Loan Board

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was lent by the Public Works Loan Board to  (a) the Scottish Government and  (b) parish councils in England in each of the last five financial years.

Angela Eagle: The Public Works Loan Board lends only to local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales therefore the Scottish Government has no outstanding debt with the PWLB.
	The total amounts lent to the parish and town councils in England in each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			   Amount () 
			 2003-04 11,709,583 
			 2004-05 8,210,406 
			 2005-06 11,737,008 
			 2006-07 7,964,701 
			 2007-08 9,415,688

Public Works Loan Board

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid to the Public Works Loan Board by  (a) the Scottish Government and  (b) parish councils in England in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: Where PWLB debt is repaid by Scottish local authorities prematurely using proceeds from the sale of housing stock and where there is overhanging debt, the Scottish Government often contributes to the total sum repayable to the PWLB. Payments received from the Scottish Government by PWLB in this respect in each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			   
			   Principal  Interest  Premium  Total 
			 2003-04 90,573,659.94 0 18,275,438.61 108,849,098.55 
			 2004-05 0 0 0 0 
			 2005-06 0 0 0 0 
			 2006-07 80,148,935.93 0 27,468,125.43 107,617,061.36 
			 2007-08 71,226,117.65 0 18,354,399.65 89,580,517.30 
		
	
	Public Works Loan Board receipts from parish town councils in England in each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			   
			   Principal  Accrued interest  Premium  Total 
			 2003-04 5,490,065.15 4,062,911.27 272,639.73 9,825,616.15 
			 2004-05 5,176,104.34 4,208,528.19 29,464.56 9,414,097.09 
			 2005-06 5,592,703.84 4,317,054.09 173,036.58 10,082,794.51 
			 2006-07 5,855,311.45 4,285,239.25 47,130.43 10,187,681.13 
			 2007-08 5,831,642.47 4,583,982.74 37,996.42 10,453,621.63

Repossession Orders

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many properties were repossessed in  (a) England and  (b) North Yorkshire in each year since 2004.

Ian Pearson: The Government do not hold these figures. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) publishes the total numbers of properties taken into possession in the UK, available at:
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/statistics.

Research and Development Tax Credit

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of uptake of research and development tax credits by  (a) clean technology companies and  (b) green technology companies was in 2008-09.

Angela Eagle: Information on RD tax credits is not yet available for 2008-09. The most recent National Statistics, published on the HMRC website on 19 December 2008, cover financial years up to 2006-07.
	Information on claims for RD tax credits by clean tech and green tech companies is not available because the data are broken down by industry sector using the UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities (SIC), and clean tech and green tech are not identified as separate sectors in this classification.

Revenue and Customs: Complaints

David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints his Department has received on the number of days between the date on which members of the public receive letters from HM Revenue and Customs and the date on the letter.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not compiled centrally.

Revenue and Customs: North West

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what renovation and refurbishment works have been carried out on the HM Revenue and Customs' offices in  (a) Blackburn and  (b) St Helens in the last 12 months; and at what cost.

Stephen Timms: No renovation or refurbishment works have been carried out in HM Revenue and Customs' offices in Blackburn and St. Helens in the last 12 months.
	Both of these offices are occupied under the terms of an estates private finance initiative (PFI) contract. Planned preventive and lifecycle maintenance will have been undertaken by HMRC's estates partner, Mapeley, who are responsible for maintenance of the sites to the required contractual accommodation standards.

Royal Bank of Scotland

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on answering parliamentary questions on  (a) the Government's expenditure on and  (b) the operations of RBS.

Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers answer parliamentary questions about Government expenditure on RBS as fully and accurately as appropriate, consistent with the Department's responsibilities. Questions about the operations of RBS are a matter for the directors of the bank.

Smuggling

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many offences of smuggling of illegal and counterfeit tobacco were recorded in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available.
	The following table shows the number of cases brought and the number of criminals sentenced for tobacco offences in each of the last five years.
	
		
			   Cases brought  Number of people sentenced 
			 2003-04  429 
			 2004-05  204 
			 2005-06  262 
			 2006-07 237 299 
			 2007-08 192 290

Valuation Office: Overseas Visits

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what overseas conferences have been attended by representatives of the Valuation Office Agency at public expense in the last 12 months;
	(2)  with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst, of 17 March 2008,  Official Report, column 899W, on the Valuation Office: visits abroad, which overseas destinations have been visited by Valuation Office Agency staff since March 2008; how many visits were made to each destination; and what the purpose of each visit was.

Stephen Timms: The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) receives a number of requests to provide advice overseas. Where VOA participation is expected to be beneficial at an overseas conference or seminar some or all of the costs incurred are normally borne by the conference organisers.
	Since March 2008 staff from the Valuation Office Agency have made the following visits:
	 Fully paid for by the event organisers;
	One person visited Moscow as a Keynote speaker at Russian Society of Appraisers Conference; and
	One person visited Kansas City to attend a meeting of the International Association of Assessing Officers to review mass appraisal courses and textbooks.
	 Costs paid by the VOA:
	Five visits, consisting of one person each time, were made to Dublin to discuss valuation practice and procedures across England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland;
	One person visited Toronto to attend the Mass Appraisal Valuation Symposium, partly paid for by the organisers;
	One person visited Warsaw as a Keynote speaker at the European Valuers Conference;
	One person visited Beijing to attend an International Property Tax Institute Conference, partly paid for by the organisers;
	One person visited Adelaide as a Keynote speaker at the Australian Valuer General, Registrar General and Surveyor General's Conference, partly paid for by the organisers; and
	One person visited Cannes to attend Gartner's Symposium / IT(xpo) 2008.

VAT

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the average saving made by households in each income decile with people of working age as a result of the reduction in the rate of value added tax to 15 per cent. over the course of a year;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the average saving which will be made by households in each income decile with people of working age with dependent children as a result of the reduction in the rate of value added tax to 15 per cent. over the course of a year;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the average saving for pension age households in each income decile  (a) mainly dependent on state benefits and  (b) mainly dependent on other forms of income from the reduction in the standard rate of value added tax to 15 per cent. over the course of a year.

Stephen Timms: The benefit to a household from a reduction in VAT of 2.5 percentage points, net of increases to alcohol and tobacco duty, is, on average, 275. This amount is derived from HMRC revenue forecasts, and therefore cannot be used for analysis by decile and household type.
	Household spending patterns vary widely within deciles and household types, so estimates of savings on such a basis should be treated with caution. This is exacerbated by there being greater sampling variability associated with estimates for deciles and groups of given household types due to the relatively small sample sizes.
	However it is possible to infer the following estimates of the benefit of the VAT reduction by household type and income decile, based on figures for average expenditures on VAT published by the ONS in their article The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes, 2006-07.
	The estimates assume the majority of the VAT reduction will be passed on to consumers in the form of lower prices in line with past experience, and that spending patterns remain unchanged.
	
		
			  Decile groups of retired households ranked by equivalised disposable income 
			  Percentage 
			  Retired households   
			   Bottom  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  9th  Top 
			 Saving of gross income 1.5 1.1 1.1 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.8 
		
	
	
		
			  Decile groups of non-retired households ranked by equivalised disposable income 
			  Percentage 
			  Non-retired households   
			   Bottom  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  9th  Top 
			 Saving of gross income 1.6 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Decile groups of non-retired households with children ranked by equivalised disposable income 
			  Percentage 
			  Non-retired households with children   
			   Bottom  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  9th  Top 
			 Saving of gross income 1.7 1.0 1.1 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.4

VAT: Accountancy

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of valued added tax (VAT) registered traders who are eligible to use VAT cash accounting do not use it.

Stephen Timms: Businesses are not required to notify HMRC if they use cash accounting. As a result of research conducted in 2006, HMRC estimates that the scheme is used by at least one in three eligible businesses which would benefit from it. The scheme is already available to over 90 per cent. of the VAT registered population, but does not benefit businesses that already operate on a cash receipts basis such as retailers.

Welfare Tax Credits

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of the increase in the tax credits income disregard from 2,500 to 25,000 in each financial year between 2009-10 and 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on 7 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 1043-1044W.

Welfare Tax Credits: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claimants in West Chelmsford constituency were overpaid tax credits in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: Estimates of the number of families with tax credit awards, including information on overpayments by constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes, for the years 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 are available in the HMRC publications Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics Finalised Annual Awards. Supplement on Payments. Geographical Analyses, for each relevant year.
	These publications are available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm

Welfare Tax Credits: EC Nationals

Roger Gale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of  (a) child tax credit and  (b) working tax credit paid to EU nationals in respect of family members resident in other EU member states in the last 12 months.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available for child tax credit. The working tax credit is not a family benefit within the scope of EC Regulation 1408/71 and it is therefore not payable in respect of a worker's family members resident in other EEA member states.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individual cases of tax credit overpayment reclamation his Department has taken to court in  (a) each year from 2006-07 and  (b) each month of 2008-09 for which information is available; and what the average overpayment was.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) initiates court action only as a last resort. HMRC initiated 467 and 365 court actions for the recovery of tax credit overpayments through county court (England and Wales)(1), sheriffs court (Scotland) and magistrates court (Northern Ireland) in November and December 2008 respectively.
	For information on earlier months and years, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central (Jenny Willott) on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1926W.
	Information on the total number of overpaid awards, and the aggregate amount overpaid, in 2006-07 is provided in the main aggregates table in the HMRC publication Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Finalised Annual Awards. Supplement on Payments 2006-07. This publication is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-quarterly-stats.htm
	Information on overpayments in 2007-08 is not yet available.
	(1) For England and Wales, these figures relate only to actions commenced centrally and exclude actions commenced by local HMRC debt pursuit offices where it is not possible to readily disaggregate tax credit cases from the total number of local initiated court actions.

Welsh Language

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on (i) translation and (ii) interpretation between English and Welsh in each year since 2000.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 4 February 2009
	No central record of spending on translations by language is held and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Charities

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1312W, on charities, whether the Government Equalities Office plans to provide further funding to each of the charities referred to.

Maria Eagle: Decisions on any future funding to these or other charities will be announced in the usual way.

Departmental Buildings

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the location is of each office occupied by the Government Equalities Office which has been  (a) newly occupied and  (b) refurbished in the last 24 months; and what the floor area in square metres is of each.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office was established on 12 October 2007. It was based initially in Ashdown house, a Communities and Local Government building in Victoria street in London SW1. In February 2008, the GEO moved to Eland house, another CLG building, also in London SW1.
	The GEO's area in Ashdown house was not refurbished during GEO's tenure and there are no plans to refurbish GEO's area in Eland house.
	The GEO's floor area in Eland house is 372 sq m. No records exist of the floor area in Ashdown house but space there was less than it is now in Eland house.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality from which providers the Government Equalities Office sources internet access.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office sources its internet access through Steria, the in-house provider for the Department of Communities and Local Government. Steria is, in turn, supplied by Cable and Wireless and the internet is accessed via the Government secure internet (GSI).

Departmental Public Appointments

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality which of the public appointments for which the Government Equalities Office is responsible are due to be  (a) renewed and  (b) filled in the next 24 months; what the (i) remit, (ii) salary, (iii) political restriction, (iv) eligibility requirement and (v) timetable for each appointment is; and what records the Government Equalities Office keeps in respect of such appointments.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) sponsors two non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs): the Women's National Commission (WNC) an advisory NDPB, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) an Executive NDPB.
	The WNC has a board and chair totalling 16 members. The existing terms of five of the commissioners are due to end in the summer of 2009. It is expected that recruitment of between two and five commissioners will take place during 2009.
	The roles of the chair and 12 commissioners of the EHRC will be renewed or filled in the next 24 months. Remit, salary eligibility requirement and timetable have yet to be confirmed.
	GEO complies fully with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) guidance on political restrictions.
	The remit, remuneration and further information about these posts will be made available via the public appointments website at:
	http://www.publicappts-vacs.gov.uk
	and the GEO website at:
	http://www.equalities.gov.uk
	later this year.
	Records and documentation evidence of these appointments will be retained by GEO for at least two years in accordance with guidelines from OCPA.

Departmental Recruitment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many people aged over  (a) 55 and  (b) 60 years were recruited by the Government Equalities Office in 2007-08; and what percentage in each case this was of the number of new recruits.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office was established on 12 October 2007. Including those staff who came to us through the machinery of government changes that set up the GEO, in 2007-08 GEO recruited two staff over 55 years of age, representing 11 per cent. of new recruits, and one member of staff aged over 60 years, equivalent to 6 per cent. of new recruits.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality with reference to the answer of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 688-89W, on departmental temporary employment, how many staff were recruited through each company in each year; and for how long on average staff recruited through these companies worked for the Department in each year.

Maria Eagle: With reference to the answer of 27 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 688-89W, on departmental temporary staff, the total number of staff recruited through each company and the average length of contract, in weeks, is as follows:
	
		
			  Company  Number of staff recruited  Average contract length (Weeks) 
			 Adecco 3 37 
			 Brook Street UK Ltd. 13 26 
			 Michael Page Associates 1 5 
			 Morgan Hunt 4 17 
			 Reed Employment Ltd. 13 14

Mass Media

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the cost of her Department's contracts with press monitoring services was in each year since its inception.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office was established on 12 October 2007. The Department for Work and Pensions met the costs of press monitoring services for the GEO from then until 31 March 2008. Since 1 April 2008, GEO has spent 11,428.25 on press monitoring services.

Political Parties: Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 303W, on departmental procurement, what the purpose was of each of the three payments to political parties by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.

Maria Eagle: The Commission has informed me that the three payments made by them, as referred to in the answer to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 303W, are related to charges for attending the 2007 annual party conferences. The Commission attended the conferences to build its profile with parliamentarians and key stakeholders and promote factual information about its work, to co-inside with the launch of the new Commission in October 2007.

Written Parliamentary Questions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many and what proportion of questions for written answer on a named day have been answered on the day named in the 2008-09 session of Parliament to date.

Maria Eagle: My Department has received one named day question since the start of the current Session. The question could only be answered after collecting information from other Government Departments and the time taken to do this meant that GEO did not respond by the due date.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Bereavement Benefits

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the bereavement payment lump sum was last increased; and what estimate his Department has made of the change in funeral costs which has taken place since that date.

Kitty Ussher: The bereavement payment was last increased in April 2001 with the introduction of the bereavement benefit scheme.
	The Department does not hold information regarding the change in funeral costs since 2001.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which websites were operated by his Department in addition to its main website in the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following list details the websites operated by the Department for Work and Pensions in addition to its main website in the past five years. The list includes the Department's executive agencies, NDBPs and other public bodies.
	 Websites operated by the Department
	Jobcentre Plus
	www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
	The Pension Service
	www.thepensionservice.gov.uk
	Child Support Agency
	www.csa.gov.uk
	Directgov Disabled People and Carers Sections
	www.direct.gov.uk/disability
	www.direct.gov.uk/carers
	Directgov Over 50s Section
	www.direct.gov.uk/over50s
	Directgov Jobseekers
	www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Jobseekers
	Age Positive
	www.agepositive.gov.uk
	Office for Disability Issues
	www.officefordisability.gov.uk
	European Social Fund
	www.esf.gov.uk
	Health and Safety Executive
	www.hse.gov.uk
	Now Let's Talk Money
	www.nowletstalkmoney.com
	 Websites operated by the Department for Work and Pensions where the  department is not responsible for the content
	Independent Case Examiner
	www.ind-case-exam.org.uk
	Industrial Injuries Advisory Council
	www.iiac.org.uk
	Social Security Advisory Committee
	www.ssac.org.uk
	Websites that are managed independently of DWP
	Independent Living Funds
	www.ilf.org.uk
	Pension Protection Fund
	www.pensionprotectionfund.org.uk
	Pensions Ombudsman and PPF Ombudsman
	www.pensions-ombudsman.org.uk/
	Remploy
	www.remploy.co.uk
	The Pensions Regulator
	www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk
	The Pensions Advisory Service
	www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk
	The Rent Service
	www.therentservice.gov.uk
	 Websites that have since closed
	Disability Employment Advisory Committee
	www.deac.org.uk
	Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board
	www.dlaab.org.uk
	Employer Task Force
	www.employertaskforce.org.uk
	Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force
	www.emetaskforce.gov.uk
	Images of Disability
	www.imagesofdisability.gov.uk
	National Employment Panel
	www.nationalemploymentpanel.gov.uk
	Pensions At Work
	www.pensionsatwork.org
	Pensions Commission
	www.pensionscommission.org.uk
	Fair Cities
	www.faircities.net
	Benefit Fraud Inspectorate
	www.bfi.gov.uk
	New Deal
	www.newdeal.gov.uk
	Action Teams
	www.actionteams.gov.uk
	Employment Zones
	www.employmentzones.org.uk
	Worktrain
	www.worktrain.gov.uk
	One
	www.one.gov.uk

Departmental Official Engagements

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the official engagements of each Minister in his Department were between 1 December and 31 December 2008.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 15 January 2009
	 The information that the hon. Member has requested is listed in the following table. This also includes regional engagements as my Regional Ministers do discuss departmental business at these events.
	
		
			  Minister  Date  Official engagement 
			 James Purnell 1 December 2008 Child Poverty Action Group 
			 James Purnell 9 December 2008 Tower Project, London 
			 James Purnell 11 December 2008 Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, York 
			 James Purnell 17 December 2008 Inclusion 'Workless in 2009' 
			
			 Tony McNulty 1 December 2008 Hammersmith Jobcentre Plus 
			 Tony McNulty 1 December 2008 London Prevent Network 
			 Tony McNulty 1 December 2008 Mayor of London 
			 Tony McNulty 1 December 2008 Ealing Council 
			 Tony McNulty 1 December 2008 North West London 
			 Tony McNulty 2 December 2008 Media Breakfast 
			 Tony McNulty 2 December 2008 Ethnic Minority Advisory Group Reception 
			 Tony McNulty 3 December 2008 London Council 
			 Tony McNulty 3 December 2008 A4E 
			 Tony McNulty 4 December 2008 Employers Round table 
			 Tony McNulty 4 December 2008 Speech OSCT event 
			 Tony McNulty 4 December 2008 Visit London meeting 
			 Tony McNulty 8 December 2008 Harrow College 
			 Tony McNulty 8 December 2008 Shepherds Bush Jobcentre Plus Office 
			 Tony McNulty 8 December 2008 Met Police meeting 
			 Tony McNulty 8 December 2008 London and European Resilience Event 
			 Tony McNulty 9 December 2008 London Child Poverty Delivery Group 
			 Tony McNulty 10 December 2008 National Prevent Conference 
			 Tony McNulty 11 December 2008 London community Safety Partnership 
			 Tony McNulty 15 December 2008 London Colleges 
			 Tony McNulty 15 December 2008 Tower Hamlets 
			 Tony McNulty 15 December 2008 Ocean Job Shop 
			 Tony McNulty 15 December 2008 Brick Lane Youth Development Association 
			 Tony McNulty 16 December 2008 UK Commission for Employment and Skills 
			 Tony McNulty 17 December 2008 Drug Strategy Commission reception 
			 Tony McNulty 18 December 2008 Met Police 
			 Tony McNulty 18 December 2008 Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre 
			
			 Rosie Winterton 1 December 2008 Immingham Pensioners Wellbeing Group 
			 Rosie Winterton 3 December 2008 Opportunity age Strategic Group 
			 Rosie Winterton 4 December 2008 DWP Pensions Staff Conference 
			 Rosie Winterton 4 December 2008 Help the aged 
			   Age Concern 
			 Rosie Winterton 5 December 2008 Local Government Yorkshire and Humber event 
			 Rosie Winterton 8 December 2008 EEF 
			 Rosie Winterton 9 December 2008 B and CE benefit Schemes 
			 Rosie Winterton 10 December 2008 Business in Sport and Leisure (BISL) 
			 Rosie Winterton 10 December 2008 Charity Champion Awards 
			 Rosie Winterton 11 December 2008 Age Concern Newcastle 
			   ASDA Northumbria 
			   Employee event Newcastle 
			 Rosie Winterton 12 December 2008 Association of Colleges Yorkshire and Humber 
			 Rosie Winterton 15 December 2008 Pension Credit Centre Burnley 
			 Rosie Winterton 16 December 2008 NAPF 
			 Rosie Winterton 16 December 2008 Help the Aged 
			   Age Concern 
			   CPA 
			   Anchor Trust 
			 Rosie Winterton 17 December 2008 BGOPBetter Government for Older People 
			   OPAGOlder People's Action Group 
			
			 Kitty Ussher 4 December 2008 Conference of the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd. 
			 Kitty Ussher 8 December 2008 Valuation Office Agency 
			 Kitty Ussher 9 December 2008 Balham Benefit Delivery Centre 
			 Kitty Ussher 9 December 2008 National Housing Federation 
			 Kitty Ussher 10 December 2008 White Paper launch 
			 Kitty Ussher 11 December 2008 National Housing Federations Unlocking Potential conference 
			 Kitty Ussher 11 December 2008 Chartered Institute of Housing 
			 Kitty Ussher 15 December 2008 Stewart Maxwell MSP 
			 Kitty Ussher 15 December 2008 Lyn Brown MP 
			 Kitty Ussher 16 December 2008 Beverley Hughes MP 
			 Kitty Ussher 16 December 2008 Jennifer Willott MP 
			 Kitty Ussher 18 December 2008 Zimbabwe Inter-Ministerial Meeting 
			 Kitty Ussher 18 December 2008 Life Chances Ministerial Meeting 
			
			 Jonathan Shaw 1 December 2008 Office for Disability Issues Annual event 
			 Jonathan Shaw 1 December 2008 Neuro-diversity Meeting 
			 Jonathan Shaw 1 December 2008 Welfare Reform Meeting 
			 Jonathan Shaw 1 December 2008 RADAR People of the Year Awards 
			 Jonathan Shaw 2 December 2008 Shelter Housing Event 
			 Jonathan Shaw 2 December 2008 Justice and Crime Sub-Committee 
			 Jonathan Shaw 2 December 2008 Kimberly Clark/SEEDA meeting 
			 Jonathan Shaw 2 December 2008 SEEDA Infrastructure Event 
			 Jonathan Shaw 3 December 2008 City and East London JCP LOCOG Event 
			 Jonathan Shaw 3 December 2008 Canterbury Innovation Centre 
			 Jonathan Shaw 3 December 2008 MCCH 
			 Jonathan Shaw 4 December 2008 Include Me Too Conference 
			 Jonathan Shaw 4 December 2008 Equality 2025 
			 Jonathan Shaw 4 December 2008 National Autistic Society Meeting 
			 Jonathan Shaw 8 December 2008 Placeshaper Housing Association Reception 
			 Jonathan Shaw 9 December 2008 RNIB Meeting 
			 Jonathan Shaw 9 December 2008 Remploy Meeting with Shop Stewards 
			 Jonathan Shaw 9 December 2008 Parkinson's Disease Society Meeting 
			 Jonathan Shaw 9 December 2008 Tell Us Once Event 
			 Jonathan Shaw 9 December 2008 Employers' Forum on Disability Meeting 
			 Jonathan Shaw 9 December 2008 IDEAS Meeting 
			 Jonathan Shaw 9 December 2008 Remploy and other Supported Businesses Procurement Meeting 
			 Jonathan Shaw 10 December 2008 Independent Living Funds Meeting 
			 Jonathan Shaw 10 December 2008 Welfare Reform Stakeholder Event 
			 Jonathan Shaw 10 December 2008 Care and Support Ministerial Meeting 
			 Jonathan Shaw 11 December 2008 Equality Bill Consultation Event 
			 Jonathan Shaw 12 December 2008 British Olympians and Paralympians Medallists Event 
			 Jonathan Shaw 15 December 2008 Meeting with Devolved Administration Ministers 
			 Jonathan Shaw 16 December 2008 SEEDC 
			 Jonathan Shaw 16 December 2008 Remploy Meeting 
			 Jonathan Shaw 16 December 2008 IDEAS Workshop 
			 Jonathan Shaw 16 December 2008 Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) 
			 Jonathan Shaw 17 December 2008 Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) 
			
			 Lord McKenzie 1 December 2008 SR Partnership 
			 Lord McKenzie 1 December 2008 Steel Construction Institute 
			 Lord McKenzie 2 December 2008 Inside Government Conference 
			 Lord McKenzie 2 December 2008 Evershed's 
			 Lord McKenzie 3 December 2008 Launch of HSE New Strategy consultation 
			 Lord McKenzie 4 December 2008 Pension Consultants 
			 Lord McKenzie 5 December 2008 Birmingham New Hospital Joint Venture 
			 Lord McKenzie 9 December 2008 Annual Multi Pensions 2008 
			 Lord McKenzie 9 December 2008 Trade Union Congress 
			 Lord McKenzie 10 December 2008 Personal Account Delivery Authority 
			 Lord McKenzie 10 December 2008 Confederation of British Industry 
			 Lord McKenzie 10 December 2008 National Association of Pension Funds 
			 Lord McKenzie 10 December 2008 Association of Consulting Actuaries 
			 Lord McKenzie 12 December 2008 Gateway Education centre and Shrewsbury Hospital 
			 Lord McKenzie 16 December 2008 National Association of Pension Funds 
			 Lord McKenzie 17 December 2008 Australian Health and Safety Minister

Funeral Payments

Bill Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what definition his Department uses of respectful funeral, as referred to in his Department's technical guidance SB16;
	(2)  what expenses can be claimed by benefit claimants under Other Funeral Expenses as referred to in his Department's technical guidance SB16.

Kitty Ussher: There is no definition of a respectful funeral within the departmental guidance or in the legislation relating to funeral payments from the Social Fund. The person responsible for arranging the funeral may claim for items or services including:
	the funeral director's fees
	church fee or minister's fee
	organist's fee
	flowers
	cost of an urn
	hygienic treatment.
	This is not a complete list of items and services that may be claimed under other funeral expenses. A decision maker can award the necessary cost of certain specified items, including burial or cremation charges, in addition to an amount up to a limit of 700 for all other funeral expenses.

Housing Benefit

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the expenditure which will arise as a result of the provision which makes excess payments of up to 15 to local housing allowance (LHA) claimants where their rent is less than the LHA rate applicable to their case in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Kitty Ussher: It has been estimated that the expenditure which will arise as a result of the provision which makes excess payments of up to 15 to local housing allowance claimants where their rent is less than the local housing allowance rate applicable to their case may be as follows:
	
		
			   Estimated cost of excess  ( million) 
			 2008-09 60 
			 2009-10 160 
			 2010-11 240 
		
	
	It is important to note that these estimates are subject to a number of assumptions and estimates are sensitive to small changes in these assumptions.

Housing Benefit

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the amount of local housing allowance paid to tenants since April 2008 which has not been paid to landlords; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 2 February 2009
	The information is not yet available.

Incapacity Benefit: Forest of Dean

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in Forest of Dean constituency claiming incapacity benefit in respect of  (a) mental and  (b) physical impairments.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 5 February 2009
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  N umber of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants in Forest of Dean constituency by mental or physical impairmentMay 2008 
			   Number 
			 Mental impairments 1,180 
			 Physical impairments 1,830 
			  Notes 1. To qualify for incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance, claimants have to undertake a medical assessment of incapacity for work which is called the personal capability assessment. Therefore, the medical condition recorded on incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claim form does not itself confer entitlement to incapacity benefits, so, for example, the decision for a customer claiming incapacity benefit on grounds of mental or behavioural disorders would be based on their ability to carry out the range of activities in the personal capability assessment; or on the effects of any associated mental health problems. Causes of incapacity are based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, published by the World Health Organisation. 2. Mental impairments are defined as organic, including symptomatic, mental disorders (F00-F09), mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use (F10-F19), schizophrenia, scizotypal and delusional disorders (F20-F29), mood affective disorders (F30-F39), neurotic, stress related and somatoform disorders (F40-F48), behavioural syndromes associated with physiological disturbances and physical factors (F50-F59), disorders of adult personality and behaviour (F60-F69), mental retardation (F70-F79), disorders of psychological development (F80-F89), behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence (F90-F98) and unspecified mental disorder (F99). All other medical conditions are included in the physical impairments category. 3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: DWP Information Directorate 100 per cent. WPLS

Mortgage Relief

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many individuals have received support for mortgage interest in respect of mortgages taken out after October 2005 in each year since 2005-06;
	(2)  what his Department's net expenditure on mortgage interest support for those on income support with mortgages taken out after October 2005 has been in each year since 2005-06.

Kitty Ussher: The information requested is not available.

Post Office Card Account

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 765-6W, on the Post Office card account, on what basis it was decided that the financial details of the contract will remain commercially confidential.

Rosie Winterton: The financial details of the contract are subject to the normal principles of commercial confidentiality. It would not therefore be appropriate to make this public as this information relates to the commercial interest of the Department and Post Office Ltd.

Poverty: Children

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the Department's estimate is of the number and proportion of children who were  (a) in poverty and whose parents were out of work and  (b) who had moved out of poverty as a result of their parents moving into work in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: The information on the number and proportion of children who were in poverty and whose parents were out of work is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and risk of children living in households with incomes less than 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income whose parents are working age and not in work, before housing costs, United Kingdom 
			   Number (million)  Proportion (percentage) 
			 2002-03 1.6 64 
			 2003-04 1.5 61 
			 2004-05 1.4 58 
			 2005-06 1.4 58 
			 2006-07 1.4 61 
			  Notes: 1. These statistics are based on households below average income, sourced from the Family Resources Survey and Low Income Dynamics data, sourced from the British Household Panel Survey. 2. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for households below average income figures is single financial years. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' series, which uses net disposable household income, adjusted (or equivalised) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. For the households below average income series, incomes have been equivalised using OECD equalisation factors. 6. Numbers of children have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 children and proportions have been rounded to the nearest per cent. 7. Children have been counted as being in workless families where they are in lone parent families where the parent does not work or in couple families where both parents do not work. 8. Parents have been counted as being of working age if at least one is of working age (i.e. 64 or below for men, 59 or below for women).  Source: Households Below Average Income 
		
	
	Information on the number and proportion of children who had moved out of poverty as a result of their parents moving into work is not available. Poverty is a complex and multidimensional issue with many different factors acting at the same time in moving individuals into or out of poverty.
	The risk of a child being in a low income household in the United Kingdom in 2006-07 where one or more adult works is much lower at 14 per cent. than for children in workless families, where the equivalent proportion is 61 per cent. as shown in the table. Data from the Low Income Dynamics publication illustrate that an increase in the number of workers or full-time workers in a family with children greatly increases the likelihood of that household moving out of low income. The Low Income Dynamics paper is available in the Library.

Prisoners Release

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been paid by his Department in subsistence payments to offenders on the end of custody licence scheme.

David Hanson: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 3 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1175-76W.

Unemployed

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many economically inactive people of working age wanted employment in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many economically inactive people of working age wanted employment in each of the last five years. (254493)
	The information requested is provided in the attached table. The estimates are consistent with those published in Table 13 of the Labour Market Statistics First Release Historical Supplement, which is available on the National Statistics website via the following link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/OnlineProducts/LMS_FR_HS.asp
	The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Economically inactive people( 1)  of working age( 2)  who want a jobthree month period ending November, 2004 to 2008United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted 
			   Total (thousand) 
			 2004 2,016 
			 2005 2,053 
			 2006 2,102 
			 2007 2,093 
			 2008(3) *2,102 
			 (1) Economically inactive people are neither in employment nor unemployed. The number of economically inactive people who want a job comprises: those who have not been looking for work in the last four weeks but who say that they would like to have a regular paid job; plus, those that have been looking for work but who were unable to start work within two weeks. (2 )Men aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59. (3 )Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates, as described below:  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CVfor example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical robustness  * 0 = CV 5 Estimates are considered precise. ** 5 = CV 10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise. *** 10 = CV 20 Estimates are considered acceptable. **** CV = 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes.  Note:  It should be noted that the above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc.)  Source: Labour Force Survey

Vacancies

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job vacancies there were in  (a) Vale of York constituency,  (b) North Yorkshire and  (c) England in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many job vacancies there were in (a) Vale of York constituency, (b) North Yorkshire and (c) England in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008. (254271)
	The Office for National Statistics estimates the number of vacancies from the Vacancy Survey, but estimates below UK are not available from this source.
	An alternative source of information on job vacancies is administrative data from Jobcentre Plus. This data only includes job vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus and consequently is inconsistent with the UK estimates from the Vacancy Survey; however geographical breakdowns of this data are available.
	Table 1 attached, shows the number of live unfilled job vacancies held by Jobcentre Plus for the Vale of York constituency, North Yorkshire and England in December of 2006, 2007 and 2008. Figures from Jobcentre Plus for Great Britain, along with three month averages for the UK from the Vacancy Survey have also been included for comparison.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of job vacancies( 1)  reported in Vale of York parliamentary constituency, North Yorkshire, England and Great Britain, compared with estimates of total vacancies in UK 
			  Not seasonally adjusted 
			   Vale of York  North Yorkshire  England  Great Britain 
			 December 2006 478 3,007 264,618 308,414 
			 December 2007 1,079 4,086 342,840 394,904 
			 December 2008 477 2,154 238,385 271,011 
			 (1 )Job vacancies for Vale of York, North Yorkshire. England and Great Britain are live unfilled vacancies from the Jobcentre Plus administrative data. The GB totals are much lower than the UK figures from the ONS Vacancy Survey.   Source:  Jobcentre Plus Administrative Data 
		
	
	
		
			  Seasonally adjusted 
			   UK 
			 October to December 2006 603,000 
			 October to December 2007 676,000 
			 September to November 2008 562,000 
			  Source: Vacancy Survey, ONS

Vacancies: East Riding

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of job vacancies in the East Riding of Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 4 February 2009
	 I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated February 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many job vacancies there are in East Riding of Yorkshire. (254291)
	The Office for National Statistics estimates the number of vacancies from the Vacancy Survey, but estimates below UK are not available from this source.
	An alternative source of information on job vacancies is administrative data from Jobcentre Plus. This data only includes job vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus and consequently is inconsistent with the UK estimates from the Vacancy Survey; however geographical breakdowns of this data are available.
	Table 1 attached, shows the number of live unfilled job vacancies held by Jobcentre Plus for the East Riding of Yorkshire in December 2008. Figures from Jobcentre Plus for Great Britain, along with three month averages for the UK from the Vacancy Survey have also been included for comparison.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of job vacancies( 1)  recorded in the East Riding of Yorkshire and Great Britain, compared with UK total estimate 
			   Not seasonally adjusted 
			   East Riding of Yorkshire  Great Britain 
			 December 2008 650 271,011 
			 (1) Job vacancies for East Riding of Yorkshire and Great Britain are live unfilled vacancies from the Jobcentre Plus administrative data. These are not consistent with the UK estimate of total vacancies, from the ONS Vacancy Survey.  Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative Data 
		
	
	
		
			   Seasonally adjustedUK 
			 September to November 2008 562,000 
			  Source: Vacancy Survey, ONS

Vocational Training

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps the Government has taken to provide training opportunities for people aged over 25 years.

Si�n Simon: I have been asked to reply.
	People aged over 25 are eligible for all Government supported training for adults including apprenticeships. 27,200 adults aged 25 and over started an apprenticeship in 2007-08 and 16,800 between August and October in 2008-09. The Government are currently investing 4.5 billion in adult skills, through Train to Gain, Skills for Life and other work related training. There is now a legal right for all adults to get training up to national vocational qualification level 2 if they do not already have a qualification at this level.
	The Department is also working with DWP to create a joined up employment and skills system that gives low-skilled and unemployed adults the skills and support they need to find sustained employment. The Employability Skills Programme has been designed to meet the complex needs of Jobcentre Plus customers, and Local Employment Partnerships aim to open up opportunities for people on benefits who are often overlooked in the labour market. The Government are making a reality of our commitment to integrate the employment and skills systems. The aim is that all of those out of work will get the help they need to address their skills needs, find employment and progress in work through continued skills development.

Winter Fuel Payments

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions those living within the postcodes BB1, BB4, BB5 and BB6 areas have qualified for cold weather payments since 1 October 2008.

Kitty Ussher: A cold weather payment is made to an eligible customer if the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to the customer's postcode.
	Eligible customers living in the postcodes BB1, BB4, BB5 and BB6 have qualified for cold weather payments twice since 1 October 2008 (based on the temperature criterion having been met up to 28 January 2009).

Winter Fuel Payments

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions people living in postcode areas BB18, BB8 and BB9 have qualified for cold weather payments since 1 October 2008.

Kitty Ussher: A cold weather payment is made to an eligible customer if the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to the customer's postcode.
	Eligible customers living in the postcodes BB18, BB8 and BB9 have qualified for cold weather payments twice since 1 October 2008 (based on the temperature criterion having been met up to 28 January 2009).

Winter Fuel Payments: Maladministration

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions  (a) how many and  (b) what proportion of cold weather payments have been paid in error in each year since the introduction of cold weather payments, broken down by reasons for error; and at what cost to the public purse the payments were made.

Kitty Ussher: Cold weather payments commenced in November 1988 but records are available only from the year 1999-2000 onwards.
	While we do not hold the exact information requested in the PQ, the Department is able to provide summarised information that was reported in the Department for Work and Pensions Accounts from 1999-2000 to 2007-08 inclusive. During this period, cold weather payments totalling 87.382 million were paid out with 2,155.00 reported as being overpaid and the amount written off falling just below 1,000.00
	
		
			  The value of error in each year since 1999-2000 
			   
			   Value of new cold weather payment overpayments  Value of new cold weather payment overpayment write-offs in year 
			 1999-2000 450.00 0.00 
			 2000-01 258.50 8.50 
			 2001-02 322.00 221.00 
			 2002-03 1,067.50 416.50 
			 2003-04 0 263.50 
			 2004-05 34.00 17.00 
			 2005-06 17.00 25.50 
			 2006-07 17.00 17.00 
			 2007-08 117.00 0.00 
			 Total 2,155.00 969.00 
			  Note: Amounts may not be written off in the year in which the error occurs.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Adult Education

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Reading West of 28 January 2009,  Official Report, column 594W, on vocational training: finance, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in the number of learners aged 25 years and over in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 5 February 2009
	The target audience for the Skills for Life strategy is adults in England with literacy and/or numeracy skills below Level 2 and this includes learners aged 25 years and over. The increase in the number of Skills for Life (literacy, language and numeracy) learners aged 25 years and over (and in all other age groups) in 2004-05 and 2005-06 was part of our Skills for Life strategy to improve the basic skills of 2.25 million adults between 2001 and 2010.
	The strategy is based around boosting demand, ensuring capacity, raising standards and increasing learner achievement. The boosting demand element included work with employers to raise awareness of the issue and the successful 'Get On' campaign to encourage individuals to improve their skills. DIUS is refreshing its Skills for Life strategy and will soon be publishing a delivery document.

Apprentices

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the number of apprenticeships there were in the public sector at 1 January 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: In Quarter 3 2008, there were just under 10,000 people of working age(1) studying towards an apprenticeship in the public sector. This represents around 7 per cent. of those working age people in England studying towards an apprenticeship.
	These data are taken from the most recent quarterly Labour Force Survey (LFS) which covers the period July to September (2008). Data up to 31 December 2008 will be available from 11 February.
	(1) Men aged 16 to 64 and women aged 16 to 59

Apprentices: Cleveland

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many new  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) training places will be made available for the people in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in the next 12 months.

Si�n Simon: Information on projected apprenticeship volumes is available at national level only.
	Table 1 shows FE and Skills participation for Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland local authorities in 2007/08, the latest year for which we have fully audited information. This information is also available on the Data Service website, and was released alongside the post-16 education statistical first release, which was published on 18 December 2008:
	www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics
	This information by parliamentary constituency is not available.
	
		
			  Table 1: FE and skills participation, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland local authorities, 2007/08 (provisional) 
			   Age  
			  Local authority  16-18  19+  All learners 
			 Middlesbrough  Redcar and Cleveland 4,400 4,800 10,600 12,000 15,000 16,900 
			  Notes: 1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. These figures include FE, University for Industry, WBL (including apprenticeships, Entry to Employment), Train to Gain and Adult Safeguarded Learning. 3. Final 2007/08 data will be published in March 2009. 4. This table uses learner volumes as a measure for comparative purposes. Full-year numbers are a count of the number of learners that participated at any point during the year. 5. Learners that are included in different data collections e.g. a learner undertaking an apprenticeship and a Train to Gain qualification, will be counted twice in this table. 6. Age is calculated based upon age as at 31 August of the academic year. 7. Local authority is based on the learner's home postcode.

Cumbria University: Finance

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how much funding his Department has provided to help establish and develop the University of Cumbria;
	(2)  how much funding his Department is making available to continue the development of the University of Cumbria over the next three years.

David Lammy: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has provided 10.3 million through its Strategic Development Fund to establish the University of Cumbria over a period of four years from 2007-08. In addition the university has received annual grant funding of 18,864,672 in 2007-08, and 19,584,615 in 2008-09. Grant allocations for 2009-10 will be announced by HEFCE in March.

Departmental Air Travel

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 527W, and pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2008,  Official Report, column 1055W, on departmental air travel, if he will place in the Library the figures for the distance of air travel carbon offset in 2007-08 for his Department, broken down by  (a) domestic,  (b) short-haul and  (c) long-haul flights.

Si�n Simon: The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) was created as a result of the machinery of government changes in June 2007. The Department's predecessors DfES (now DCSFDepartment for Children Schools and Families) and DTI (now BERRDepartment for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) provide travel bookings for DIUS. The number of air miles used to calculate the departmental payment for the 2007-08 for DIUS provided by BERR was:
	
		
			   Miles 
			  (a) Domestic 27,560 
			  (b) Short haul 140,286 
			  (c) Long haul 285,096 
		
	
	The number of air miles used to calculate the departmental payment for 2007-08 for DIUS provided by DCSF was included in the DCSF return because figures could not be separated for this period. To separate this data would involve disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the initial estimated  (a) cost and  (b) delivery date was of each ICT project initiated by his Department since its inception; what the (i) outturn cost and (ii) completion date was of each such project subsequently completed; which contractors were hired for each project; and how much has been paid to each contractor in respect of each project to date.

Si�n Simon: From our records, the following ICT projects have been initiated by the Department and its agencies. Only projects where either the initial estimated or outturn cost is greater than 200,000 have been listed.
	
		
			  Project  (a) Initial estimated cost  (b) Initial delivery date  (i) outturn cost  (ii) completion date  Contractors  Total paid () 
			 DIUS UnlTE Project (ICT services contract) 1,700,000 February 2008 1,700,000 February 2008 Fujitsu 1,700,000 
			
			 DIUS website redevelopment 425,000 March 2009 n/a n/a Atticmedia 38,000 
			  Eduserv Nil 
			
			 Patents Electronic Case File System 3,800,000 March 2008 3,100,000 March 2008 n/a 3,100,000 
			
			 Fast Track Trade Mark Application 290,000 April 2008 270,000 April 2008 n/a 270,000

Departmental Languages

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants in his Department received coaching in a foreign language in the last 12 months; what expenditure his Department incurred in providing such coaching; and in what languages such coaching was provided.

Si�n Simon: Since 1 January 2008, one Minister in the Department has taken foreign language lessons.
	For employees in the Department, the Professional Skills for Government framework sets out the skills and expertise needed in their job including the flexibility to specify foreign language skills where that is relevant. Costs for individual training are arranged locally for employees as part of their learning and development, and are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publicity

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much is planned to be spent by  (a) the Learning and Skills Council and  (b) his Department on advertising apprenticeships in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

Si�n Simon: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has been responsible for promoting apprenticeships since it came into existence in April 2001.
	Since 1997 we have witnessed a renaissance in apprenticeships from a low point of 64,000 with only 27 per cent. completions to last year's record high of 225,000 with 64 per cent. completions, a remarkable achievement This shows the huge demand for apprenticeships which is why we are examining every possible opportunity to create more apprenticeships which offer hope and real career opportunities for young people and adults.
	The LSC plan to spend 2,845,439 nationally in 2008-09 on media advertising (excluding VAT and Central Office of Information fees). Planned advertising spend at regional level is not readily available. The national advertising campaign fronted by Sir Alan Sugar will run throughout February and March. I am pleased that Sir Alan has offered his time free of charge to support the Apprenticeships campaign. Planned advertising spend for 2009-10 has not yet been confirmed.
	The Department and the Department of Children, Schools and Families have allocated funds to the LSC for marketing. The Department has no plans to spend money directly on advertising apprenticeships in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent discussions his Department has had with outside organisations to discuss policy on reducing the effect of the recession on matters within his Department's responsibility.

Si�n Simon: DIUS immediate priority is to provide real help to support individuals and businesses through these challenging economic times.
	Ministers and officials have regular and frequent engagements with outside organisations including relevant Government Departments, our delivery partners, businesses and other stakeholders on a wide range of issues relating to the current economic situation.

Educational Institutions: Construction

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what capital budget for rebuilding colleges has been allocated for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: In Our Statement of PrioritiesBetter skills, Better jobs, Better Lives, published in November 2007, it was stated that we will invest 2.3 billion between 2008-09 and 2010-11 to ensure that colleges have world-class buildings.
	The original annual capital grant allocations to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) were set out as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2008-09 694 
			 2009-10 820 
			 2010-11 850 
		
	
	These figures include the total LSC capital budget which includes funding for both 16 to 19-year-olds and adults.
	However, as announced in the last pre-Budget report, investment of 110 million for 2009-10 has been brought forward into 2008-09, and a further 110 million for 2010-11 has been brought forward into 2009-10. This is in support of this Government's actions to help beat the current global economic downturn.
	The revised annual capital grant allocations to the LSC are subsequently as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2008-09 804 
			 2009-10 820 
			 2010-11 740

Educational Institutions: Construction

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans he has to bring forward capital expenditure on colleges to the year 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: As announced in the last pre-Budget report, investment of 110 million for 2009-10 has been brought forward into 2008-09, and a further 110 million for 2010-11 has been brought forward into 2009-10.
	This accelerated funding will be spent to bring forward building works, benefiting learners and regenerating communities, and will help us beat the current global economic downturn.

Employment: Young People

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what proportion of parents aged between 16 and 19 years in  (a) Southampton,  (b) Test Valley borough,  (c) the ceremonial county of Hampshire and  (d) England were in education, employment or training at the latest date for which figures are available.

Si�n Simon: The proportion of mothers aged between 16 and 19 years in education, employment or training in England in 2006-08 was 32.9 per cent. (source: Labour Force Survey sample, 2008). Data are averaged over three years because of small sample sizes and do not include information on the proportion of fathers aged between 16 and 19 participating in education, employment or training.
	The proportion of parents aged 16 to 19 in education, employment or training in December 2008 in the ceremonial county of Hampshire was 33.7 per cent. and in the three authorities, comprising the ceremonial county, as follows: the administrative county of Hampshire 34.6 per cent.; Portsmouth 42.5 per cent.; Southampton 29.2 per cent. (source: Connexions Client Information SystemCCIS). This information is not reported for borough council areas in county authorities.

Further Education

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which further education colleges were required to halt their building programmes as a result of decisions taken at the Learning and Skills Council's December 2008 board meeting.

Si�n Simon: In 1997 the total capital expenditure in further education colleges in England was nil.
	In total since that time, this Government have invested 2.4 billion and will be investing a record further 2.3 billion across the next three years.
	But the pace of demand for capital funding has increased. Projects and the scale of Government funding they require are becoming increasingly ambitious. In addition there are signs that the ability of colleges to raise their own funds for proposed projects is being affected by the downturn.
	It is for this reason that over the next few weeks the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is working closely with colleges that have submitted or are working on bids, to look at the individual current positions before making future funding decisions. As a result of this the consideration of a small number of applications that were due for decisionboth in principle and in detailhave been deferred from December to March.
	However, the 253 colleges that have been given approval in detail and either have work already under way or have been previously been given the final go ahead for works to begin will not be affected, although the LSC will be in touch in due course to check progress.

Further Education

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the indirect costs potentially payable by each further education college as a result of the Learning and Skills Council's decision to halt building programmes between December 2008 and March 2009.

Si�n Simon: In 1997 the total capital expenditure in further education colleges in England was nil.
	Since 1997, this Government have invested 2.4 billion in redeveloping and modernising further education colleges. In addition we have plans to invest a further 2.3 billion in the next three years. Currently more than 250 projects are under way and funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC)helped by the recent decision to accelerate 110 million in 2008-09 from future budgets to help beat the downturn.
	The Learning and Skills Council is responsible for the administration of the further education capital budget. While the LSC does provide some support to colleges for the costs associated with developing their projects, as independent providers, colleges themselves are responsible for the management and financing of their capital projects. As a result, the Department does not collect information regarding any potential indirect costs colleges may or may not incur during the life of a capital project. However, the LSC is currently working closely with colleges that have submitted or are working on bids, to look at the individual current positions.

Further Education

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what processes are in place to enable the Learning and Skills Council to prevent the halting of a further education college building project from resulting in significantly higher long-term costs.

Si�n Simon: The total capital expenditure in further education colleges in England in the financial year 1997-98 was nil.
	In total since that time, this Government have invested 2.4 billion and will be investing a record further 2.3 billion across the next three years.
	Currently more than 250 projects are under way and funded by the LSChelped by the recent decision to accelerate 110 million in 2008-09 from future budgets to help beat the downturn.
	But the pace of demand for capital funding has increased. Projects and the scale of Government funding they require are becoming increasingly ambitious.
	It is for this reason that over the next few weeks the LSC will be working closely with colleges that have submitted or are working on bids to assess the whole programme before making further funding decisions. The LSC have yet to provide a full analysis of all of those schemes but this will include the impact of the current position on all affected projects.

Further Education

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what discussions he has had with the Learning and Skills Council on whether building projects halted as a result of decisions taken at the Learning and Skills Council's December 2008 board meeting are expected to restart following the March board meeting.

Si�n Simon: In 1997-98, the total capital expenditure in further education colleges in England in the financial year 1997-98 was nil.
	In total since that time, this Government have invested 2.4 billion and will be investing a record further 2.3 billion across the next three years.
	In total, since the programme began under this Government, nearly 700 projects, at 330 colleges have been agreed. Only 42 colleges have not yet benefited from investment. The programme has therefore been a huge success.
	But the pace of demand for capital funding has increased. Projects and the scale of Government funding they require are becoming increasingly ambitious.
	It is for this reason that over the next few weeks the LSC will be working closely with colleges that have submitted or are working on bids to look at the individual current positions before making future funding decisions. As a result, consideration of a small number of applications that were due for decision by the LSC National Council where deferred from December to March.
	At the March meeting of the LSC National Council it will decide when it can make a decision on the small number of applications that were deferred from December to March. It will also advise on when and on what basis it will consider other capital applications.

Further Education: Finance

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to reimburse further education colleges for the interest they pay on money borrowed to finance their capital programmes; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: Since 1997, this Government has invested 2.4 billion in redeveloping and modernising further education colleges. In addition we have plans to invest a further 2.3 billion in the next three years. In total, since the programme began, nearly 700 projects at 330 colleges have been agreed.
	The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) administers the further education capital budget on behalf of the Department.
	The LSC, through its approval process, agrees an appropriate level of capital grant support based upon a range of factors including the affordability of the proposal to the college.

Further Education: Overseas Students

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of Learning and Skills Council-funded further education provision in the academic years  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09 has been allocated to non-UK nationals.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 3 February 2009
	Table 1 shows the number of Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funded learners undertaking further education provision (further education colleges, University for Industry and work-based learning) in 2007-08, split by whether the learner is UK or non-UK domiciled.
	To be eligible for LSC funding an individual needs to satisfy the residency criteria set out in LSC Learner Eligibility Guidance. In general, this means that they need to have been lawfully living in the UK, European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) for the three years prior to the start of their course.
	2007/08 is the latest year for which we have fully-audited information across all learning routes. We do not currently hold information on country of domicile for adult safeguarded learning or Train to Gain.
	Around 1 per cent. of learners in further education (FE, University for Industry, WBL) were non-UK domiciled in 2007/08. Non-UK domiciled learners will include those from the EU and EEA.
	
		
			  Table 1: LSC-funded further education (further education colleges, University for Industry, work-based learning) in 2007/08, by whether the learner is UK or non-UK domiciled. 
			   Number of learners 
			 UK domiciled learners 3,093,000 
			 Non-UK domiciled learners 34,000 
			 Not known 3,000 
			  Notes:  1. Volumes are rounded to the nearest thousand.  2. This information is based on country of domicileinstitutions are advised that the country of domicile field should be treated as a self-assessment field and reflect the country where the learner was ordinarily resident for the three years preceding the start of their programme.  3. These figures include FE colleges, University for Industry and WBL (including apprenticeships and entry to employment).  4. Information on country of domicile is not currently available for Train to Gain and Adult Safeguarded Learning.  5. Final 2007/08 data will be published in March 2009.  6. This table uses learner volumes as a measure for comparative purposes. Full-year numbers are a count of the number of learners that participated at any point during the year.  7. Learners that are included in different data collections e.g. a learner undertaking an apprenticeship and a Train to Gain qualification, will be counted twice in this table.

Further Education: Pay

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when he plans to implement salary structures for lecturers in further education institutions equivalent to those for teachers in the maintained sector.

Si�n Simon: There are no plans to implement a salary structure for lecturers in further education institutions. This is a matter for FECs themselves, as independent organisations and employers of their own staff.

Higher Education: Admissions

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many school students from Leeds West constituency went on to higher education in each academic year since 2001.

David Lammy: The latest available figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) are shown in the following table. Figures for the 2007/08 academic year were released on 29 January 2009. Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available in January 2010.
	
		
			  18 and 19-year-old entrants( 1)  to undergraduate courses from Leeds West parliamentary constituency( 2) , UK higher education institutions( 3) , academic year 2001/02 to 2007/08 
			  Academic year  Number 
			 2001/02 140 
			 2002/03 145 
			 2003/04 185 
			 2004/05 170 
			 2005/06 180 
			 2006/07 195 
			 2007/08 180 
			 (1) Covers entrants to both full-time and part-time courses. (2) Students have been allocated to Leeds West constituency based on the home postcode reference recorded on the HESA student record. Some of these students may not have attended schools in the Leeds West constituency. (3) Excludes the Open university as they recorded the number of entrants incorrectly in the 2004/05 academic year.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Higher Education: Disadvantaged

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many university entrance applications were received from applicants in the lowest three socio-economic groupings in the academic years  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2004-05 and  (e) 2003-04;
	(2)  how many applicants from the lowest three socio-economic groupings were awarded places at university in the academic years  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2005-06,  (d) 2004-05 and  (e) 2003-04.

David Lammy: The information is shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  English domiciled applicants to full-time undergraduate courses via UCAS by socio-economic groups 5-7 2003/04 to 2007/08 
			   SEG 5-7 
			 2003/04 65,332 
			 2004/05 65,793 
			 2005/06 71,266 
			 2006/07 65,579 
			 2007/08 71,631 
			  Source:  UCAS 
		
	
	
		
			  English domiciled applicants who were accepted for entry to full-time undergraduate courses via UCAS by socio-economic groups 5-7 2003/04 to 2007/08 
			   SEG 5-7 
			 2003/04 52,370 
			 2004/05 52,340 
			 2005/06 56,602 
			 2006/07 51,916 
			 2007/08 56,029 
			  Note: The categories of socio-economic groups 5-7 are:; 5 Lower supervisory and technical occupations; 6 Semi-routine occupations; 7 Routine occupations.  Source:  UCAS 
		
	
	For the academic years recorded in the tables, for those aged up to 20, UCAS recorded socio-economic class based on the applicant's parent's occupation; for those aged 21 and over, the applicant's socio-economic class was based on their own occupation.

Learning and Skills Council

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the Learning and Skills Council's December 2008 board meeting.

Si�n Simon: The publication of the minutes of the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) National Council meetings are an operational issue. Decisions about their publication are therefore a matter for the LSC. The LSC publishes a summary of its council minutes on their website. A summary of all meetings, including the December meeting, can be found at
	www.lsc.gov.uk.

Learning and Skills Council: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the capital budget of the Learning and Skills Council is for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Si�n Simon: In Our Statement of PrioritiesBetter skills, Better jobs, Better lives, published in November 2007, it was stated that we will invest 2.3 billion between 2008-09 and 2010-11 to ensure that colleges have world-class buildings.
	The original annual capital grant allocations to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) were set out as follows:
	
		
			   Amount ( million) 
			 2008-09 694 
			 2009-10 820 
			 2010-11 850 
		
	
	These figures include the total LSC capital budget which includes funding for both 16 to 19-year-olds and adults.
	However, as announced in the last pre-Budget report, investment of 110 million for 2009-10 has been brought forward into 2008-09, and a further 110 million for 2010-11 has been brought forward into 2009-10. This is in support of this Government's actions to help beat the current global economic downturn.
	The revised annual capital grant allocations to the LSC are subsequently as follows:
	
		
			   Amount ( million) 
			 2008-09 804 
			 2009-10 820 
			 2010-11 740

Learning and Skills Council: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much Learning and Skills Council capital spending has been brought forward  (a) from 2009-10 to 2008-09 and  (b) from 2010-11 to 2009-10.

Si�n Simon: As announced in the last pre-Budget report, investment of 110 million for 2009-10 has been brought forward into 2008-09, and a further 110 million for 2010-11 has been brought forward into 2009-10.
	This accelerated funding will be spent to bring forward building works, benefiting learners and regenerating communities, and will help us beat the current global economic downturn.

Postgraduate Education

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will increase the funding available for students from poorer backgrounds to pursue postgraduate studies.

David Lammy: This Government acknowledge the value of postgraduate studies. However, we have to prioritise the funding available. Our priority is to ensure that finance is no barrier to students achieving a first degree: that is why statutory student support is concentrated on undergraduates.
	However, there are also a number of measures in place to help people finance postgraduate studies. For example, we recently announced proposals to reposition career development loans as a key additional source of support to help people finance learning, as new professional and career development loans (PCDLs). PCDLs will offer more people the opportunity to reskill and improve their employment prospects by offering more generous terms for the learner, such as loans up to 10,000 and lower interest rates.
	Funding may also be available for individuals through the Access to Learning Fund (ALF). The fund allows universities and colleges to provide extra discretionary support for students in particular need; it is administered directly by universities and colleges, which are best placed to assess students' circumstances.

Postgraduate Education: Finance

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment the Government  (a) has made and  (b) plans to make of the effects of (i) the recession and (ii) restricted availability of credit on the number of UK students wishing to study at postgraduate level;
	(2)  what steps the Government plans to take to maintain numbers of students wishing to study at postgraduate level in the current economic climate;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effect on postgraduate students of private finance providers being  (a) unwilling and  (b) not required to make binding funding commitments for the duration of courses in the current economic situation;
	(4)  what steps his Department takes to assist postgraduate students not eligible for career development loans whose financial support is withdrawn part-way through their course;
	(5)  what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the economic downturn on levels of financial assistance for postgraduate students from  (a) employers,  (b) private companies providing loans and  (c) banks.

David Lammy: The Government are determined to ensure that finance is no barrier to going to university. Having a degree remains one of the best pathways to a rewarding career: employers prize the highly-developed skills and talents that graduates bring to their businesses. Going to university is an investment for the future, with graduates benefiting over their lifetime from their decision to go into higher education. The Government's priority is to assist students to achieve a first degree. That is why statutory student support is concentrated on undergraduates.
	No matter what the short-term outlook for the economy, it is sensible for individuals to look at how they can fulfil their potentialand for many that means postgraduate study. The number studying at postgraduate level have increased by 27 per cent. in the last decade. The Government continue to promote the importance of higher level skills and supports excellence in higher education, including through providing significant funding for internationally acclaimed research activity through the various research councils which support postgraduate study. In the decade since 1997, the Government's support for the UK research base has risen from 1.3 billion to 3.4 billion.
	It is up to individuals themselves to decide which private finance providers to select to fund their postgraduate study. To help learners tackle the challenges arising from the economic downturn, we recently announced proposals to reposition career development loans as a key additional source of support to help people finance learning, as new professional and career development loans (PCDLs). PCDLs will offer more people the opportunity to reskill and improve their employment prospects by offering more generous terms for the learner, such as loans up to 10,000 and lower interest rates.
	Like career development loans, PCDLs will be commercial loans offered by participating banks and supported by the Government. The decision on which course the loan is used for, including who provides the course, lies with the individual and that is made clear to them before they take out a loan. The Government pay the interest on the loan during the period of study, after which the individual must repay the loan capital plus remaining interest in full. Deferred repayment terms are subject to the banks' loan policy.
	Further Government funding may be available for individuals through the Access to Learning Fund (ALF). The fund allows universities and colleges to provide extra discretionary support for students in particular need; it is administered directly by universities and colleges, which are best placed to assess students' circumstances.
	We continue to work closely with the higher education sector to monitor the impact of the current economic climate on students and institutions; and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) are considering further measures to address the immediate needs of the economy, including funding for short courses which might lead to up-skilling.

Students: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many Perfect Gift vouchers to help with the costs of further education have been sold  (a) in each region and  (b) by each college.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 28 January 2009
	The Perfect Gift scheme was launched as a pilot project in October 2007 in nine further education colleges across England (one college per Learning and Skills Council region). The following table sets out the number of gift vouchers sold by each of the participating colleges:
	
		
			  College  Region  Number of vouchers sold 
			 Warwickshire College West Midlands 18 
			 New College Nottingham East Midlands 1 
			 College of North East London London 0 
			 Gateshead College North East 0 
			 West Herts College East of England 0 
			 York College Yorks and Humberside 0 
			 Blackpool and Fylde College North West 0 
			 Chichester College South East 0 
			 Filton College (Bristol) South West 0 
			 Total Take-up  19

Students: Loans

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that those with student loans taken out before 1998 receive a reduction in interest rates.

David Lammy: The interest rate applicable to pre-1998 student loans is governed by the Education (Student Loans) Act 1990 and the Student Loans (Regulations) 1998 which set out that for the period between 1 September and the following 31 August the interest rate is the daily rate which results in an APR equal to the RPI (retail price index). The interest rate used is the RPI for the preceding March. Setting the interest rate in this way ensures that borrowers, over time, repay in real terms only as much as they borrowed. Moreover, if a borrower's income falls below 25,936 per annum, they can apply for their repayments to be deferred.

Train to Gain Initiative

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department has spent under the Train to Gain initiative on advertising in each month of the last 12 months; and how much he estimates will be so spent in the next six months.  [Official Report, 19 March 2009, Vol. 489, c. 13MC.]

Si�n Simon: National marketing and communications for Train to Gain is delivered by the national Learning and Skills Council (LSC) on behalf of the Department. Records indicate that during the period January to December 2008 total advertising expenditure excluding VAT was 4,092,266. There are no media costs for Jan 2009 and no projected media costs for February to March 2009. We are currently working with the LSC to develop a dedicated marketing and communications strategy for the financial year 2009-10.

Train To Gain Programme

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the eligibility criteria regarding past academic achievement for individuals accessing the Train to Gain programme are; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 15 December 2008
	All adults (aged 19 plus) in employment and volunteers can access Train to Gain regardless of previous academic qualifications.
	For those without qualifications at level 2, full funding is available for a level 2 qualification. At Level 3, first full qualifications are fully funded for adult employees between 19-15 years of age and those who have not done a previous level 2. At Level 4, first full qualifications are fully funded for adults between the ages of 19-25 who have not done a previous Level 3. For others who already have a full level 2 and want to do another qualification above that level, some funding is available depending on individual circumstances. There are additional funding flexibilities available for SME employees and for employees in particular sectors through sector compacts.
	Further detail on eligibility criteria can be found in the Train to Gain funding guidance at
	www.lsc.gov.uk

Training: Journalism

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department is taking to improve the level of skills and training of journalists, with particular reference to local journalists.

Si�n Simon: The Government work through Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) to improve the level of skills and training. Skillset is the SSC with responsibility for journalists.
	Publishing joined Skillset's sector coverage in April 2008 and work was undertaken in the year to research the skills needs of the industry. This included a survey of the supply of training and educational provision. Further work is in progress on the development of the national occupational standards. There will be consultation with the industry this year on how to support skill levels, and agreement on a training strategy.
	Skillset provide information on the providers offering courses and the skills needed to work across a variety of media, such as newspapers, journals and online content. For local journalists who are directly employed by local newspapers there are options for their employer to access training through Train to Gain.

Vocational Training

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many organisations provided skills brokerage services to employers under contracts with the Learning and Skills Council in 2007-08.

Si�n Simon: In 2007-08 the Leaning and Skills Council contracted with 17 organisations to provide skills brokerage services to employers.
	From April 2009 the Train to Gain skills brokerage service will be integrated with Business Link to provide an all-in-one service for employers as part of the Government's Business Support Simplification Programme.

Vocational Training

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills  (a) how many and  (b) what proportion of people who undertook Skills for Life training while on employer training pilot-funded provision have achieved qualifications.

David Lammy: holding answer 5 February 2009
	The employer-training pilot ran from 2002 to 2006. In total, there were 45,300 Skills for Life learners on employer-training pilots (ETP). Of those learners, 32,500 (72 per cent.) achieved their qualification. This information is provided by the ETP database administered by the Learning and Skills Council.

Vocational Training: Car Industry

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what direct access to training schemes is available to car component firms.

Si�n Simon: Businesses in the automotive industry can access:
	 The core Train to Gain offer:
	Full funding for:
	Literacy and numeracy support at all levels;
	First full level 2 qualifications (equivalent to five GCSEs(;
	First full level 3 (equivalent to 2 A-levels) for 19-25 year olds and for people without a first level 2;
	First level 4 for 19-25 year olds who do not already have a level 3;
	Repeat level 2 qualifications in certain sector specific areas, through the sector compact.
	Shared investment between the employer and Government for:
	English for Speakers of Other Languages qualifications at all levels;
	Level 3 qualifications in certain sector specific areas, through the sector compact;
	Apprenticeships.
	In addition to quality-assured, impartial and independent advice from skills brokers which is available to those businesses who want help to identify skills needs at all levels, and to identify and source high quality, vocational skills training.
	 The SME flexibilities:
	A new package of support to help the employees of small and medium sized businesses in the private and third sector:
	Fully funded level 2 qualifications and subsidised level 3 qualifications, regardless of whether the employee already has a qualification at this level;
	Bite sized courses in subjects demanded by businesses including: business improvement, business systems and processes, team working and communications, sales and marketing, IT User, IT support, customer service, new product design, finance and credit, cash flow and profit management, and risk management;
	Funding for leadership and management training for businesses with five to 250 employees.
	 Pre-employment/redundancy flexibility:
	Those who have been given notice of redundancy or who are coming back into work after unemployment can access full funding for level 2 qualifications and part funding for level 3 qualifications, regardless of whether they already have a qualification at this level, and irrespective of the size of employer they join. This is part of a wider Government package to help those made redundant during the economic downturn.
	Both the SME and the pre-employment/redundancy flexibilities have been available since 2 January 2009.
	To support the industry further we have agreed to boost the funding available through the sector compact from 65 million to 100 million. We will work with the sector to ensure this additional resource meets employers' priority skill needs.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Illegal Immigrants

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures to remove illegal immigrants from the UK.

Phil Woolas: The huge shake-up we have made to the immigration system is paying off. Our borders are tougher than ever before and we are removing record numbers of foreign law breakers.
	In the three months to September 2008 around 17,500 people were removed. This included a 14 per cent. increase in non asylum removalsa group that includes foreign national prisoners.
	Last year the UK Border Agency removed 5,000 foreign prisoners, a record performance that is nearly four times the number removed in 2005.

Drug-related Crime

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures to combat drug-related crime.

Alan Campbell: A key indicator of the effectiveness of measures to combat drug-related crime is the Drug Harm Index; since 2002 this has fallen 28 per cent., representing a substantial fall in drug-related crime types.
	Recorded acquisitive crimeto which drug-related crime makes a significant contributionhas fallen by a similar amount.

Criminal Activity: Dogs

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department takes to prevent the use of dogs in criminal activity.

Alan Campbell: The Government require Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships/and Community Safety Partnership in Wales to identify local crime problems and to work in partnership to prioritise them. While DEFRA leads on dangerous dogs legislation, the police have a range of powers under this and other legislation to take action if dogs are being used in a criminal manner.

Criminal Activity: Dogs

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department takes to prevent the use of dogs in criminal activity.

Alan Campbell: The Government require crime and disorder reduction partnerships and community safety partnerships in Wales to identify local crime problems and to work in partnership to prioritise them. While DEFRA leads on dangerous dogs legislation, the police have a range of powers under this and other legislation to take action if dogs are being used in a criminal manner.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the work of the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office receives a regular flow of representations on the operations of the IPCC on particular cases and occasionally, on general issues. The Home Office works closely with the IPCC to enable it to make a vital contribution to building public confidence and improving the police complaints system.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many days the Independent Police Complaints Commission met in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: This is a matter for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). A copy of your question has been sent to the IPCC and they will respond to you directly.

Forensic Science Service

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on the future of the Forensic Science Service.

Alan Campbell: No recent representations have been received on the future of the Forensic Science Service.

Leave to Remain: Convictions Abroad

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-UK nationals convicted of murder in their countries of origin have been granted leave to remain in the UK in the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency works hand in hand with other Agencies, including the Serious and Organised Crime Agency, to ensure that the information required to prevent foreign criminals from entering or remaining in the UK is made available to those that need it.
	We already have one of the toughest borders in the world and we are determined to ensure it stays that way.
	We are expanding our watch-lists, working more closely with foreign Governments to share information, and speeding up the re-documentation of those being removed.

European Arrest Warrant

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of European arrest warrants.

Meg Hillier: Although there is no ministerial involvement in the EAW process, my officials and those agencies and services responsible for its operation continually review its effectiveness. Additionally, member states' operation of the EAW is subject to peer evaluation at EU level.
	In 2007 (the last year for which figures are available), the UK extradited 320 people to other EU member states under the EAW. In the same period, 96 people were returned to the UK to stand trial or serve custodial sentences.

Counter-terrorism: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps the Government has taken to improve counter-terrorism policing in the West Midlands.

Vernon Coaker: We have worked with Association of Chief Police Officers and west midlands police since 2004-05 to establish the Counter Terrorism Unit in Birmingham. It is one of three strategically located national assets that enhance the work of forces by providing co-ordination and specialist support to deliver our counter-terrorism strategy.

National DNA Database

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for serious crimes resulted from prosecutions which utilised DNA samples from the national DNA database in the last 12 months.

Alan Campbell: Data are available on the number of detections with DNA, but not the number of prosecutions or convictions, by financial year. In 2007-08, 83 homicides and 184 rapes were detected in which a DNA match was available. Convictions are achieved through integrated criminal investigation so it is not possible to say whether the DNA match was the key factor in solving the crime.

National DNA Database

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Information Commissioner on the length of time for which samples are held on the national DNA database.

Jacqui Smith: We will publish a Forensics White Paper later this year setting out how we propose to implement the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights on 4 December 2008 in the case of S and Marper. Discussions with key stakeholders will take place ahead of publication.

Criminal Gangs

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps she has taken to tackle the activities of criminal gangs.

Alan Campbell: Since the Tackling Gangs Action Programme delivered a 51 per cent. drop in firearms-related injuries across four cities, we have committed a further 1.8 million for enforcement, risk management and prevention work; launched guidance to CPS, schools and parents; and plan to legislate to provide local areas with civil powers to manage gangs.

Departmental Spending

Nick Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what she expects the change in her Department's spending in real terms to be between 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office budget for 2008-09 is 9.8 billion, and in 2009-10 it will rise to 10.1 billion. This represents a real terms growth of 1.5 per cent.

Visa Applications

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the performance of her Department's commercial partners in carrying out work on visa applications.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency processes around 2.5 million visa applications a year.
	Its commercial partners currently operate 106 visa application centres in 48 countries and assist with over 80 per cent. of all visa applications. They provide support services but play no part in decision making.
	The performance of UKBA's commercial partners engaged in visa services is continually assessed by regional managers against contract service levels and other key performance indicators.
	In addition, UKBA senior managers review a dedicated commercial partner balanced scorecard with senior executives from both companies on a bi-monthly basis.

Community Crime Fighters

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the first community crime fighters to receive training.

Vernon Coaker: 500 people have attended the first three community crime fighters one-day training courses, so far.
	3,600 activists will go through community crime fighter training by the end of 2009.

Crime Prevention

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure that police commanders co-operate with local authorities to maintain the effectiveness of local crime and disorder partnerships.

Vernon Coaker: The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 Act places a statutory duty on the police and local authorities working with others in their local area to tackle local crime and disorder problems that matter to the public.
	To further strengthen the delivery of effective partnership working, we will commence provisions for councillor call for action and crime and disorder overview and scrutiny committees in April 2009.

Detection Rates

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average number of crimes solved by each police officer was in England in 2007-08.

Alan Campbell: There were 1,373,933 recorded crimes detected by the police in 2007-08. There were 144,939 full time equivalent police officers as at 31 March 2008. Figures include the 43 police forces of England and Wales plus the British Transport Police.
	On this basis, there were 9.5 detections per officer in 2007-08, although the real figure is likely to be much higher. This is because many officers are deployed on functions other than crime solving, and the detection total does not include non-notifiable crimes: that is, almost all summary offences.

Driving Offences: Insurance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 704W, on driving offences: insurance, how many cars were seized for insurance offences and not returned in 2008; how many were sold; and how much was raised from their sale.

Alan Campbell: This information is not collected centrally. Available information provided to the Motor Insurance Database indicates that in 2008 there were 185,000 vehicles seized by the police for being driven without appropriate insurance. The Motor Insurers' Information Centre, which is responsible for the database, indicated that in the preceding year about 40 per cent. of seized vehicles were subsequently destroyed or sold, rather than returned. The proceeds of disposal are paid to the vehicle owner, less any sums due in respect of removal and storage charges.

Drugs: Crime

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the level of acquisitive crime associated with drug addiction in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: No annual estimates are made of the levels of acquisitive crime associated with drug addiction.
	It is estimated that between a third and half of acquisitive crime is drug related. More recent government survey data points to the extent of acquisitive crime that is drug-related. For example, Home Office research has found that:
	81 per cent. of arrestees who used heroin and/or crack cocaine (HC) on at least a weekly basis reported committing acquisitive crimes in the 12 months prior to arrest, in comparison to only 30 per cent. of those arrestees who did not take HC weekly.
	 Source:
	Table 5.4 Home Office Statistical Bulletin 12/07.
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1207.pdf
	Around two-fifths (39 per cent.) of drug treatment seekers reported committing an acquisitive crime in the four weeks prior to interview. This figure rose in the case of heroin and crack cocaine users, with 55 per cent. reporting that they committed an acquisitive crime in the four weeks before interview.
	 Source:
	Home Office Research Report 3.
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/horr03b.pdf

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions her Department has had with outside organisations to discuss policy on reducing the effect of the recession on matters within her Department's responsibility.

Alan Campbell: The Government have long-standing, sound systems and flexible policies in place to deal with crime. These have led to significant reductions: overall crime, as measured by the British Crime Survey, has fallen by 39 per cent. since 1997. They also mean that we are well placed to prevent future rises in crime. As the Association of Chief Police Officers pointed out in January, the police service has never been in a better and stronger position to meet challenges caused by the economic downturn.
	The Government are not complacent about crime and are taking early action to ensure that crime stays down. Burglary is a crime that people worry about during hard times; there are good programmes in place to tackle burglary but the Government are rightly keen to explore what more can be done to support people to protect their homes. That is why the Home Secretary held a summit on 4 February with a number of public, private and voluntary sector partners, including leading DIY retailers, the police, local government colleagues, British insurance industry representatives, residential landlords, Age Concern and others to discuss further practical measures to support people, particularly the most vulnerable.

Identity and Passport Service: Data Protection

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in the Identity and Passport Service are authorised to access electronic files and databases relating to an individual's  (a) immigration status,  (b) asylum application and  (c) passport application.

Meg Hillier: 15 Identity and Passport Service (IPS) staff have authorised access to an electronic database relating to an individual's immigrations status and asylum application. 2,964 IPS staff have access to the electronic passport application support system (PASS), which supports the processing of passport applications. In addition, 1,711 staff of Siemens IT Solutions and Services, who IPS contract to support and maintain PASS, have authorised access to this system.
	All IPS and Siemens staff that have authorised access have been subject to the relevant background checks and hold the appropriate security clearance in accordance with current Home Office policy.
	Access is limited to staff who have a legitimate business need and is strictly controlled.

Identity Cards: Fees and Charges

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much revenue is expected to be generated by fees, including charging for taking biometric information, for  (a) identity cards and  (b) biometric passports in each of the next 10 years.

Jacqui Smith: The fees and charges strategy for the next 10 years is still being developed and so the fee revenue for identity cards and biometric passports for each of the next 10 years is not available at this stage. Fee revenue from ID cards and biometric passports will be set to recover the operational resource costs incurred in delivering the products and the fees will be set so that the provision of both identity cards and biometric passports will be self financing for the Identity and Passport Service.
	The exact price customers will be charged for a digital photo plus recording of fingerprints will be determined by the market, through commercial competition. So the total fee revenue for taking biometric information is not yet known at this stage.

Independent Police Complaints Commission: Costs

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost to the Independent Police Complaints Commission was of dealing with a complaint in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office does not hold this information. This is a matter for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). A copy of your question has been sent to the IPCC and they will respond to you direct.

Interception of Communications Commissioner

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the timetable for the publication of the  (a) Interception of Communications Commissioner's Report for 2007 and  (b) Intelligence Services Commissioner's Report for 2007 is.

Vernon Coaker: The Interception of Communications Commissioner's Report for 2007 and the Intelligence Services Commissioner's Report for 2007 were published on 22 July 2008 and presented to Parliament by The Prime Minister as required under sections 58(6) and 60(4) respectively of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when she plans to reply to the letter of 8 December 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Mrs A. Rehman;
	(2)  when she plans to reply to the letter of 8 December 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs A. Rehman.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 19 January 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter of 7 November 2008 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Mr Faqir Hussain.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 19 January 2009.

Passports

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the contribution to the local urban economy of passport offices; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: While there has been no formal economic assessment, there is likely to have been some beneficial impact on the local economy of establishing passport offices and interview offices in multiple separate locations throughout the UK.

Passports: Manpower

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent staff are employed in each passport office; what her Department's projections are of future staff numbers in each such office; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: IPS currently employs the following number of FTEs (full-time equivalent) per regional passport office and the forecasted FTEs for end March 2009:
	
		
			  Regional office  Currently employed FTEs  Forecasted FTEs end March 2009 
			 Belfast 155 150 
			 Durham 520 584 
			 Glasgow 143 115 
			 Liverpool 332 365 
			 London 246 236 
			 Newport 286 291 
			 Peterborough 418 411 
			
			 Total regional office FTEs 2,101 2,152

Police

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what definition her Department uses of front line duties in determining how police officer time is allocated.

Jacqui Smith: The front line policing measure was based on the proportion of police officer time engaged in frontline activities. It was introduced to cover the period from April 2004 until March 2008. In line with the Government's drive to reduce police bureaucracy and to remove centrally imposed top down targets (except one on improved levels of public confidence), the measure has been discontinued.

Police Custody

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many police station cells in England were closed for health and safety reasons in each of the last five years, broken down by  (a) location and  (b) police authority; how many are scheduled for closure; and how many are under review;
	(2)  what timescale has been estimated for closure of all police station cells which have been classed as unsuitable to house detainees on health and safety grounds;
	(3)  whether police authorities have access to additional grant funding to cover the cost of providing replacement police cells for those closed on health and safety grounds;
	(4)  what police cell closures have taken place in the Central Division of Cambridgeshire constabulary in each of the last five years; and what cell provision is planned.

Vernon Coaker: The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and chief constable, who are responsible for assessing local needs.

Police: Demonstrations

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for each of the demonstrations about Gaza and Israel held since 1 January 2009, how many police were injured; what damage to police vehicles took place; and what the cost of policing was; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Information provided by the Metropolitan Police Service is that to date police officers have reported 55 assaults by protestors and nine police vehicles have been damaged. The Metropolitan Police Service estimates that the total cost of the policing operation, between 29 December 2008 and 24 January 2009, is 2.7 million.

Police: Electronic Surveillance

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the police remotely accessed personal computers  (a) in the UK and  (b) outside the UK without the owner's consent in each of the last five years; under what powers this remote searching took place in each case; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Police investigations are independent of Government and there is no requirement on the police to report to Government authorisations made under the relevant legislation. That is, under Part III of the Police Act 1997 that provides lawful authority for police interference with property.
	Part III of the Act is overseen by the Chief Surveillance Commissioner whose Annual Report is laid before the House and can be found on the internet at:
	http://www.surveillancecommissioners.gov.uk

Police: Welsh Language

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs each police force in England and Wales incurred on  (a) translation and  (b) interpretation between Welsh and English in each year since 2000.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 4 February 2009
	The information requested is not held centrally. Decisions on the distribution of resources are matters for the Chief Constable and the Police Authority for each force concerned.

Smuggling: Tobacco

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many offences of supply of illegal and counterfeit tobacco were recorded in each police authority area in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many  (a) charges and  (b) prosecutions were brought for offences relating to the supply of illegal and counterfeit tobacco in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not available.
	The following table shows the number of cases brought and the number of criminals sentenced for tobacco offences in each of the last five years.
	
		
			   Cases brought  Number of people sentenced 
			 2003-04  429 
			 2004-05  204 
			 2005-06  262 
			 2006-07 237 299 
			 2007/08 192 290

Tackling Knives Action Programme

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether any of the search wands allocated to the Tackling Knives Action Programme were redeployed from other uses;
	(2)  whether any of the search arches allocated to the Tackling Knives Action Programme were redeployed from other uses;
	(3)  how many new search wands her Department has purchased in each of the last 10 months;
	(4)  how many new search arches her Department has purchased in each of the last 10 months.

Jacqui Smith: As part of the Tackling Knives Action Programme, the Home Office provided funding for the purchase of additional search arches and wands, supplying a total of 85 arches and 589 wands for the TKAP police forces. These commitments were over and above any equipment already available to TKAP forces and did not involve any redeployment of equipment. It is not possible to break this down by month.
	In addition, prior to the establishment of the TKAP, the Home Office separately provided police forces in England and Wales with a total of 100 portable search arches and 400 wands to support search operations.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Bankruptcy: Hampshire

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people were declared bankrupt in  (a) Southampton,  (b) Test Valley borough and  (c) the ceremonial county of Hampshire in each year since 1997.

Patrick McFadden: Table 1 shows the number of bankruptcies in  (a) Southampton,  (b) Test Valley and  (c) Hampshire in each year from 2000 to 2007, derived from postcodes provided by bankrupt individuals(1,2). Earlier years figures are not available.
	(1) Classifying bankrupts into administrative geographies is done using the postcode that the bankrupt individual provides. The use of this in assigning an individual to a borough is thus only as reliable as the postcode information provided.
	(2) In particular, inaccurate or missing postcodes mean that the numbers in the above table will be subject to an element of missing data. Nationally, this proportion has been decreasing from about 12 per cent. in 2000 to less than 4 per cent. in 2007.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  Number 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Southampton 68 89 99 125 199 274 359 371 
			 Test Valley 41 30 46 65 73 91 139 113 
			 Hampshire 432 430 482 634 872 1,154 1,491 1,352

Beer: Prices

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with Pubcos on beer pricing.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 3 February 2009
	I have not met with Pubcos to discuss beer pricing. This is a commercial matter for the businesses concerned.

Business: Government Assistance

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what funds his Department provides to assist companies to attend trade fairs for the purpose of new business development.

Gareth Thomas: UK Trade and Investment provides grant support for small and medium sized enterprises to exhibit at overseas trade fairs under the Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP). Grants are set at 1,000, 1,400 or 1,800 depending on the exhibition. From 1 April 2009 the support limit has been raised so that an eligible business may receive up to six grants in its lifetime (the previous limit was three). Details of TAP support are on the UKTI website at:
	http://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk/ukti/tap

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2009,  Official Report, column 561W, on departmental buildings, what  (a) works and  (b) refurbishments were carried out in each Minister's office in each of the last 12 months; and what the cost was of each.

Patrick McFadden: The previous answer referred to by the hon. Member included spend incurred in August 2007 following refurbishments resulting from Machinery of Government changes. The following information therefore dates back to August 2007.
	The following costs relate to the Department's accommodation refurbishments for both Ministers and their outer offices:
	August 2007: 36,643.
	May 2008: 352;
	June 2008: 265,991 (included major demolition, construction and redecoration work to standardise and 'future proof offices should ministerial numbers increase in future;
	July 2008: 11,016;
	September 2008: 19,958.
	January 2009: 57,040.

Departmental Sick Leave

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average duration of single periods of sick leave taken by staff in  (a) his Department and its predecessor,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the non-departmental bodies for which his Department has responsibility who gave (i) stress and (ii) mental health and behavioural disorders as the reason for their absence was in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: Information for 2004, 2005 and 2006-07 for the Department, its predecessor and its agencies can be found on the civil service website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/about/statistics/sickness.asp
	Stress, mental health and behavioural disorders all fall within the category of 'mental and behavioural disorders'.
	For years prior to 2004, sickness absence data is not available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

India: EU External Trade

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the EU/India free trade agreement under negotiation includes provision for movement of workers from India into the UK.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 2 February 2009
	We would expect the chapter on international trade in services in an EU/India Free Trade Agreement to include provisions on the temporary movement of highly-skilled professionals both from India to the UK and from the UK to India.
	At this point, FTA negotiations with India generally are at an early stage. Negotiations on services are at a very early stage and there has been no exchange of offers in services.

Minimum Wage

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of 18 to 21 year olds in  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time employment are being paid the national minimum wage; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: According to the ONS April 2008 Annual survey of Hours and earnings:  (a) around 2 per cent. of all full-time 18 to 21-year-olds earn 4.60 an hour (the 18 to 21-year-old national minimum wage in April 2008).  (b) Around 4 per cent. of all part-time 18 to 21-year-olds earn 4.60 an hour in April 2008.
	The percentages reported above do not include those in employment reported as earning less than the 18 to 21-year-old national minimum wage rate.

Mobile Phones: Contracts

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the cost to the consumer of the setting of mobile termination rates above marginal costs in each year since 2003.

Patrick McFadden: It falls to the Office of Communications (Ofcom) as the regulator in the telecommunications sector to reach decisions on how to set regulated mobile termination rates. In March 2007, Ofcom published a market review statement for the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2011 following a two-year market review and extensive industry consultation. This statement is currently subject to two appeals before the Competition Appeal Tribunal and the Competition Commission. The outcome of these appeals will determine the appropriate mobile termination rates in the near term.

Mobile Phones: Rural Areas

Robert Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the availability of mobile phone signals in rural areas.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 2 February 2009
	The mobile network operators build base stations in order to meet customers need for coverage and service. The decision to build in a particular location is largely a commercial matter for the operators.
	For 2G or GSM networks the original coverage obligations laid on GSM operators were discharged many years ago and have been significantly exceeded on a voluntary basis. In the case of new 3G networks, an 80 per cent. population coverage obligation by 2007 was placed on each licence holder to encourage network rollout.
	In July 2006 Ofcom consulted on the technical approach it would take in its assessment of compliance with this obligation. Site data was issued to Ofcom by the mobile operators on 14 November 2007.
	Four of the five 3G licensees were in compliance with the obligation, but O2 was found to reach only 75.69 per cent. of the population, a shortfall that meant around 2.5 million people could not access its service.
	In February 2008 Ofcom issued O2 with a notice under the Wireless Telegraphy Act for breach of licence. This proposed that if the 80 per cent. obligation was still unmet by the end of June 2008, Ofcom would shorten the term of O2's licence by four months.
	In May 2008 Ofcom confirmed that O2 had met its obligation.

Newspaper Press: Government Assistance

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the Government plans to provide support to local and regional papers which are in financial difficulties.

Ian Pearson: I refer my hon. Friend to his Westminster Hall debate on the local press, which I responded to, 20 January 2009,  Official Report, column 185WH.
	This is a complex issue, given the requirement that freedom of editorial control must not be threatened by state intervention. I want to reassure him that the situation of local and regional papers is being considered within the Digital Britain initiative, which Lord Carter of Barnes is taking forward. My hon. Friend will also be aware of the announcements that were made on 19 January about additional support for the banks to ensure that they maintain lending, and of the support that was announced on 14 January, through the enterprise finance guarantee and the working capital scheme. Those schemes are available respectively to companies with an annual turnover of up to 25 million and up to 500 million. They are applicable right across industrial sectors and therefore could include local news organisations.

Ofcom: Fines

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many organisations Ofcom has found to have breached the Broadcasting Code in each of the last five years; how many were subsequently fined; and how much Ofcom has imposed in fines in relation to such breaches.

Andy Burnham: I have been asked to reply.
	The matters raised are the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom) as independent regulator. Accordingly, my officials have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to respond directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Pharmaceutical Industry: Redundancy

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many redundancies from positions in the pharmaceutical industry in  (a) the United Kingdom,  (b) the North West and  (c) Macclesfield constituency have been notified to his Department in the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: I cannot give you details of the actual number of redundancies as there is no requirement for employers to provide that information. However, employers who propose to make 20 or more redundancies at one establishment are required to notify my noble Friend the Secretary of State of the proposal under provisions contained in the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. During the period 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2008, the Department was notified of 6,240 proposed redundancies in the pharmaceutical industry in Great Britain. The records are not maintained in the format you have requested so I regret that I am unable to break them down by region or parliamentary constituencies.

Postcodes

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what gross income the Post Office received for granting access to its postcode address file in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 17 December 2008
	The provision of the postcode address file is an operational matter for which Royal Mail has direct responsibility. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to provide a direct reply to the hon. Member.
	A copy of the response will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Postcodes

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost to the Post Office of maintaining and updating the postcode address file was in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 17 December 2008
	The provision of the postcode address file is an operational matter for which Royal Mail has direct responsibility. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to provide a direct reply to the hon. Member.
	A copy of the response will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Postcodes

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will investigate the operation by the Post Office of the postcode address file to ensure that it offers users value for money.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 17 December 2008
	I have no plans to investigate the operation of the postcode address file. The provision of this service is an operational matter for which Royal Mail has direct responsibility.
	Postcomm, the postal industry regulator, has responsibility for ensuring that Royal Mail maintains the postcode address file and that the file is made available to anybody who wishes to use it.

Regional Development Agencies: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the Answer of 10 January 2008,  Official Report, column 782W, on regional development agencies: South East Region, when the evaluation of the effects of the South East England Development Agency's spending was completed; and if he will place a copy of the evaluation report in the Library.

Patrick McFadden: The Government have commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct an independent evaluation of the economic impact of RDAs. The evaluation of the impact of South East England Development Agency's spending is incorporated in the report. The evaluation report has just been completed and I will place a copy in the Libraries of the House shortly.

Regional Development Agencies: Finance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 41W, on departmental expenditure limits (2008-09), for what reason there was a re-allocation of 2.5 million from the London Development Agency to the regional development agencies.

Patrick McFadden: As part of the management of the single pot funding model, the regional development agencies (RDAs) and the London Development Agency (LDA) have the authority to agree loans between themselves, as a way of maximising the use of their overall budget allocation. This is often utilised to overcome issues around the timing of expenditure. Whilst there is no need to process such transactions between the RDAs generally (because they are all non voted), funds to the LDA are voted (because it is governed by the Greater London Authority) and any changes are, therefore, necessarily reflected in supplementary estimates.

Regional Development Agencies: Public Appointments

Eric Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 43-4WS, on Regional Development Agency (Board appointments), what political activity has been declared by each of the listed Board members.

Patrick McFadden: The declared political activity of each of the 23 appointed board members named in the written statement of 25 November are:
	 Advantage West Midlands
	Cllr Mike Whitbywas leader of the Conservative group on the Birmingham city council and since 2004 has been leader of Birmingham city council.
	 East of England Development Agency
	Nitin Dahadnone.
	Shona Johnstoneduring the past five years has been a Conservative county councillor and was leader of Cambridgeshire county council in 2007.
	Cllr Madeline RussellConservative councillor for Biggleswade and since 2005 became leader of Bedfordshire county council.
	 East Midlands Development Agency
	Elizabeth Donnellymember of the Co-operative party.
	Jim HarkerConservative member of Northamptonshire county council and has been its leader since 2005.
	 Northwest Regional Development Agency
	Anne Selbynone.
	John Stagemannone.
	Brenda Smithnone.
	Lord Peter Smithmember of the Labour party and has been leader of Wigan council since 1991.
	 South East of England Development Agency
	Zenna Atkinsonnone.
	Jeremy BirchLabour councillor and has been a member of the party for 30 years.
	Les Dawsonnone.
	Keith MitchellConservative councillor and leader of Oxfordshire county council since November 2001.
	 South West England Development Agency
	Ian Ducatmember of the Labour party.
	Peter Maddennone.
	Judith Reynoldsnone.
	Henry Studholmenone.
	Steve Smithnone.
	 Yorkshire Forward
	Bill Adamsmember of the Labour party.
	Ajaz Ahmednone.
	Julie Kennynone.
	John Vincentnone.

Sight Impaired

Tom Levitt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidelines his Department follows in respect of making printed materials and forms accessible to people suffering red/green colour blindness.

Patrick McFadden: Most of the Department's printed materials are produced through the central communications directorate. These are produced following departmental branding guidelines which do not allow the use of red and green together as background and foreground colours.

Small Businesses: Insolvency

John Leech: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many small businesses have gone into  (a) administration and  (b) liquidation in each quarter since the beginning of 2005.

Patrick McFadden: The Insolvency Service does not hold information on business size and, therefore, cannot provide an estimate of the numbers of small businesses entering administration or liquidation since the beginning of 2005.
	Total numbers of companies entering liquidation and administration are published quarterly and are available on the Insolvency Service' website :
	http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/otherinformation/statistics/200811/index.htm
	(Tables 1 and 3 for England and Wales).

Summertime

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what consideration the Government has given to a review of daylight-saving arrangements throughout the year; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Government believe that the current summer time arrangements are a satisfactory compromise between those who prefer lighter mornings and those who prefer lighter evenings. There are no plans to commission a review of the arrangements but the Government will continue to listen to arguments for and against change.

Supermarkets

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will direct the Office of Fair Trading to investigate supermarket chains with a view to directing them to divest themselves of stores they have acquired through takeovers.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 3 February 2009
	Merger control functions in the UK are carried out by the UK's independent competition authorities. Cases are considered on grounds of their impact on competition in the relevant markets. This provides the primary method of protecting the interests of UK consumers and promoting economic growth.
	The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has a duty to make a reference to the Competition Commission (CC) if it believes that the merger may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the United Kingdom for goods or services. Under section 73 of the Enterprise Act 2002 the OFT may, instead of making a reference to the CC, accept appropriate undertakings to take such action as it considers appropriate.
	One recent example is the acquisition by Co-operative Group Limited (Co-op) of Somerfield Limited. Under the terms of the undertakings accepted by the OFT on 15 January, the Co-op will divest stores in 133 areas across the UK to resolve competition concerns raised by the merger.

Textiles: Overseas Trade

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what services his Department provides to the textile sector to enable companies to pursue business opportunities overseas.

Gareth Thomas: UK Trade and Investment provides a wide range of support measures to companies seeking to do business in overseas markets, including financial assistance, through the Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP), to companies wishing to market their products or services at overseas exhibitions.
	In financial year 2007-08 the TAP scheme supported 93 businesses at a cost of 240,000 in the Textiles sector. In the current financial year, 2008-09, we forecast supporting 106 businesses at a cost of 268,000.
	The textile sector has also received 29,000 of support this year from UKTI's Regional Challenge Fund, for activities such as enhancing the UK textile sector's international media profile. The fund will be operating again in financial year 2009-10 and the textile sector will again be able to apply for support for suitable projects.

Trade: International Cooperation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the EU's proposals for Mode 4 of the General Agreement on Trade in Services include numerical limits in regard to the number of workers who could be granted entry to the UK.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 2 February 2009
	The current EU services offer in the DDA negotiations proposes a system of numerical ceilings for the temporary entry of highly-skilled foreign professionals in the categories of contractual service suppliers and independent professionals in a limited number of services sub-sectors.
	For the UK, the current offer retains the option of a numerical ceiling for contractual service suppliers and independent professionals for only one sub-sectorcomputer and related services.
	The offer, setting out the strict criteria for entry in all categories and in all services sub-sectors committed, is in the public domain and can be found on the WTO website. However, the offer remains incomplete. It does not yet contain either numbers or modalities. These remain to be worked out in the negotiations.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Aerials: Planning Permission

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Answer of 4 February 2008,  Official Report, column 890W, on aerials: planning permission, when she expects to publish the conclusions of the review of planning procedures for new base stations; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: We are still undertaking our review of the planning procedures relating to applications for new base stations.
	We are currently considering whether the two reviews published on 24 Novemberthe 'Killian and Pretty Review: Planning applicationsa faster and more responsive system: Final Report' and the 'Final report into Non householder minor development consent review' by White Young Green Planninghave any implications for the work on telecommunications.
	Should we decide that the telecommunication regulations need changing we will consult publicly on any options.

Building alterations: Planning permission

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance has been given to local authorities on the use of section 106 agreements to levy lump-sum charges on household extensions.

Iain Wright: The Government's guidance on the use of planning obligations (also known as section 106 agreements) is set out in Circular 05/05. This is available in the House Library.

Community Development: Referendums

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria her Department plans to apply for deciding on the use of referendums to promote community empowerment.

Sadiq Khan: The use of local referendums to promote community empowerment is a matter for local authorities to decide.

Council Tax: Lincolnshire

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average Band D council tax in each billing authority in Lincolnshire was in 2008-09  (a) before and  (b) after the designation of the Lincolnshire police authority and the issuing of new bills.

John Healey: Details of the average Band D council tax in each billing authority in Lincolnshire in 2008-09 before the designation of the Lincolnshire police authority were published in a statistical release on 27 March 2008 and available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/ctax089old.htm.
	Details of the average Band D council tax in each billing authority in Lincolnshire in 2008-09 after the designation of the Lincolnshire police authority were published in a statistical release on 21 August 2008 and available on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/ctax089.htm.

Council Tax: Overpayments

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what procedures apply to refunding by local authorities of overpayments of council tax in cases where a domestic property has been incorrectly banded by the Valuation Office Agency.

John Healey: The administration of council tax, including refunds of overpayments, is a matter for local authorities.

Departmental Contracts

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) of 18 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 376-9W, on departmental contracts, what the timetable is for the completion of the Contact Point for the North West Territorial Co-operation Programme; to whom the contract was awarded and at what cost; and what the full project specification is.

Sadiq Khan: This contract was for the provision of UK Contact Points for the North West Europe Territorial Cooperation Programme. The timetable for completion of the programme is 31 March 2011 and the contract was awarded to two individuals at an overall cost of 318,000. A copy of the specification has been lodged in the Library of the House.

Departmental Contracts

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to my hon Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) of 18 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 376-9W, on departmental contracts, what the timetable is for the completion of the Enabling Most Efficient Information Sharing Across Government Project; to whom the contract was awarded and at what cost; and what the full project specification of the research is.

Sadiq Khan: The timetable for the completion of the Enabling more efficient information sharing across Government project is 28 February 2009. The contract was awarded to Xantura Limited and the maximum approved cost of the contract is 89,800.00. A copy of the full specification of the project has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Departmental Legal Proceedings

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many legal proceedings naming her Department as a defending party have been  (a) filed,  (b) concluded and  (c) dismissed in each of the last five years.

Sadiq Khan: Legal proceedings involving the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government are handled on behalf of the Secretary of State by the Treasury Solicitors Department, which has supplied the information requested in the following table.
	The upper part of the table ('client group DCLG') shows the cases in which the Department was directly involved. The lower part of the table ('client group PINS') shows cases where, although the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government was cited as the respondent, the challenged decisions had been delegated by the Secretary of State to a Planning Inspector, and so in practical terms the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) and not the Department was the respondent.
	This right hand column shows the number of cases filed in the calendar years 2006, 2007, 2008. The number of cases filed, and in which the Department was directly involved were, respectively 2006: 162, 2007: 135, 2008: 99. The corresponding figures for cases handled by the Planning Inspectorate were 2006: 172, 2007: 181, 2008: 212.
	The table also shows the number of cases closed per year. For example, of the 162 cases directly involving the Department which were opened in 2006, 17 were closed in 2006, 56 were closed in 2007, 47 were closed in 2008, one has been closed in 2009, and 41 still remain open. The table shows the equivalent figures for cases opened in 2007 and 2008, and the figures for cases handled by the Planning Inspectorate.
	The Department of Communities and Local Government was created on 5 May 2006, so no legal proceedings naming the Department were filed before that date. The figures for 2006 in the table do however include cases opened between 1 January 2006 and 5 May 2006 involving the predecessor Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	
		
			Year closed   
			  Client group  Year opened  2006  2007  2008  2009  Still open  Grand total 
			 DCLG 2006 17 56 47 1 41 162 
			  2007  15 39  81 135 
			  2008   14  85 99 
			 Total  17 71 100 1 207 396 
			 
			 PINS 2006 17 77 26 4 48 172 
			  2007  12 38 2 129 181 
			  2008   5 2 205 212 
			 Total  17 89 69 8 382 565 
			 
			 Grand total  34 160 169 9 589 961

Departmental Lobbying

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Ministers in her Department received representations from  (a) Lord Moonie,  (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn,  (c) Lord Snape and  (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months.

Sadiq Khan: The only representations received from the Noble Lords referred to in the question are as follows.
	After the Secretary of State issued her decision to refuse planning permission for development of a natural gas storage facility at Preesall Saltfield, Fleetwood, Lancashire on 16 October 2007, Lord Taylor of Blackburn asked my noble Friend Baroness Andrews whether representatives of Canatxx Ltd. could meet officials. Representatives of Canatxx met policy officials on 6 December 2007 to discuss general policy on gas storage facilities.
	In the summer of 2008 Lord Taylor of Blackburn requested information from my noble Friend Baroness Andrews about Newark as a growth point and related planning cases.

Departmental Mass Media

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to my hon. Friend the Member for South-West Surrey (Mr Hunt) of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1491W, on departmental mass media, for what reasons her Department is monitoring the media for the keywords of 'civil unrest'.

Sadiq Khan: 'Civil unrest' is included as a keyword search term for CLG's contracted media monitoring provider in order to ensure relevant coverage relating to community cohesion and resilience issues, for which the Department is responsible, is captured.

Departmental Mass Media

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for South-West Surrey (Mr Hunt) of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1491W, on departmental mass media, on what date Durrants was instructed by her Department to monitor the keywords 'Haringey Social Services'.

Sadiq Khan: The Department asked for this search term to be added to Durrants' list of key words on 17 November 2008.

Departmental Plants

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent by her Department on  (a) pot plants since 1 March 2008 and  (b) flowers in each of the last three years.

Sadiq Khan: A low level of internal planting within the CLG HQ buildings is maintained under our integrated facilities management contract. The cost of this is included within the fixed contract price for cleaning, grounds maintenance and pest control and is not separately identifiable.
	Since 1 March 2008 additional new plants have been provided at a cost of 725.25.
	It is not departmental practice to provide cut flowers for office use and so expenditure on this is nil.

Departmental Recruitment

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new recruits her Department took on in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2007-08 and  (d) 2008-09, how many of these were taken on as (i) permanent, (ii) temporary and (iii) agency staff; and what estimate she has made of the equivalent figures for (A) 2009-10 and (B) 2010-11.

Sadiq Khan: Communities and Local Government have taken on the following number of staff since2005:
	
		
			  Count of staff ID 
			  Staff Type  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  Grand Total 
			 Permanent Staff 56 68 96 86 306 
			 Short Term Contracts 32 33 34 46 145 
			 Agency Staff 228 208 363 374 1,173 
			 Grand Total 316 309 493 506 1,624 
		
	
	In 2009-10 and 2010-11, as in the current year, our administration budget is planned to fall by 5 per cent. in real terms. There is also evidence that the rate at which permanent staff are leaving the Department is falling. Against this background, I would expect to see some reduction in recruitment.

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Answer of 13 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1326W, on departmental training, what personal training courses at public expense Ministers in her Department have undertaken since 1 January 2008.

Sadiq Khan: Other Ministers in Communities and Local Government have taken the following personal training courses at public expense since 1 January 2008: advice on continuing professional development; and advice on speeches.

Departmental Travel

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what expenditure her Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises in each year since her Department was established.

Sadiq Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on Monday 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 6W. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the 'Ministerial Code'.

Domestic Visits: Essex

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how many occasions the Minister for the East of England has visited areas of the administrative county of Essex other than those in the unitary authorities of Southend and Thurrock; and what the purpose was of each visit.

Sadiq Khan: Since her appointment in July 2007, the Minster for the East of England has visited the administrative county of Essex on six separate occasions. The most recent visits were focussed around the economy such as the Regional Economic Forum held in Chelmsford and her visit to Jobcentre Plus and a local business in Basildon as part of the roll-out of the pre-Budget report.
	The Minister has also visited Essex on skills related events including leading the East of England Talent Debate at Stansted, visiting Rickstones Academy in Witham as part of the Grand Schools Tour, and visiting a children's centre in Harlow.
	The Minister recently chaired the Regional Partnership Group in Chelmsford.

Eco-Towns: Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much it cost to set up the website http://ecotownsyoursay.direct.gov.uk; and what the monthly maintenance costs of the website are.

Margaret Beckett: The set up and development costs for the website
	http://ecotownsyoursay.direct.gov.uk
	totalled 76,786 and to date 6,000 has been incurred in maintenance costs. The website has the specific aim of encouraging participation in the eco-towns consultation.

Eco-Towns: Pennbury

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether English Partnerships has been involved in the proposed eco-town bid near Leicester.

Margaret Beckett: Proposals for an eco-town at Pennbury, near Leicester have been put forward by the Co-operative Group in conjunction with English Partnerships, now part of the Homes and Community Agency (HCA), who are landowning partner and have contributed to the design ad preparation of the proposals.

English Housing Survey

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) households and  (b) social housing households were identified by the English Housing Survey as having a non-UK national as head of household in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: Over the two years 2006-07 and 2007-08 there were, in England, an estimated:
	 (a) 1.5 million households headed by a foreign national;
	 (b) 310 thousand social housing households headed by a foreign national.
	These figures were derived from the Survey of English Housing. The English Housing Survey started in April 2008 and the first estimates from this survey will be available in January 2010.
	The definition of foreign national used above is consistent with that used in published results from the Survey of English Housing; namely a foreign national is someone who is not a national of the UK or Ireland.

Fire Services

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent on the FireControl project; and what further expenditure is expected until the time when all regional fire control centres become operational.

Sadiq Khan: 139 million has been spent to date on FiReControl. The total project cost for FiReControl is expected to be 380 million. A significant proportion of the remaining expenditure is already committed through agreed contractual costs. Full details of the contract costs are set out in the FiReControl business case, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Fire Services: Contracts

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Hurd) of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 810W, on Fire Service: contracts, what legal advice her Department sought prior to any advice given to contracting parties in respect of non-inclusion of break clauses in the contracts for regional fire control centres; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The Department took advice from its own lawyers and from commercial property advisers and solicitors throughout the development of the building leases for regional control centre buildings. The fire and rescue authorities have taken and continue to take their own legal advice.

Fire Services: Contracts

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's policy is on the inclusion of break clauses in the contracts for regional control centres; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Hurd) on 26 January,  Official Report, column 108W.

Fire Services: Crimes of Violence

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many recorded attacks on fire crews there were in each of the last three years, broken down by fire and rescue service area.

Sadiq Khan: The Department collects figures on attacks on firefighters based on returns from fire and rescue authorities. The following table shows the number of attacks over the last three years by fire and rescue authority (FRA) for England.
	
		
			  Number of attacks notified to CLG by year of incident and FRA 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Avon 7 9 12 
			 Bedfordshire 4 4 1 
			 Royal Berkshire 8 4 1 
			 Buckinghamshire 6 3 2 
			 Cambridgeshire 29 15 17 
			 Cheshire 31 25 21 
			 Cleveland 96 91 60 
			 Cornwall  2  
			 Cumbria 1 8 5 
			 Derbyshire 9 7 16 
			 Devon (Devon and Somerset from 2007-08) 8 10 (1)10 
			 Dorset 6 5 4 
			 Durham 28 48 22 
			 East Sussex 1  4 
			 Essex 17 17 6 
			 Gloucestershire 8 4 6 
			 Hampshire 6 5 11 
			 Hereford and Worcester 1 1 8 
			 Hertfordshire 1  2 
			 Humberside 34 25 37 
			 Isle of Wight  1 1 
			 Kent 10 13 9 
			 Lancashire 28 38 35 
			 Leicestershire 12 14 18 
			 Lincolnshire 9 7 10 
			 Norfolk 2 4 3 
			 North Yorks 2 8 11 
			 Northamptonshire 4 17 13 
			 Northumberland 10 7 9 
			 Nottinghamshire 31 29 18 
			 Oxfordshire  6 2 
			 Shropshire  9 6 
			 Somerset 3  (1) 
			 Staffordshire 23 23 29 
			 Suffolk 4 3 3 
			 Surrey 1 5 5 
			 Warwickshire 21 25 10 
			 West Sussex  4 3 
			 Wiltshire 2 4 1 
			 Isles of Scilly  1  
			 Greater Manchester 223 184 68 
			 Merseyside 172 103 49 
			 South Yorkshire 60 69 57 
			 Tyne and Wear 33 98 92 
			 West Midlands 137 79 95 
			 West Yorkshire 112 108 169 
			 London 10 15 6 
			 Grand total 1,210 1,157 967 
			 (1) Devon and Somerset FRS merged on the 1 April 2007.

First Time Buyers

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what further financial support she will make available to local authorities to help first-time home buyers.

Margaret Beckett: The Government are already investing 8 billion in affordable housing (for both social rent and low cost home ownership) through the new Homes and Communities Agency in 2008-11a 3 billion increase compared to previous years.
	The low cost home ownership programme is helping to make home ownership more affordable to first time buyers throughout England through a range of shared ownership and shared equity schemes. In response to the current difficult market conditions, we have expanded the availability of shared equity, which allows qualifying first time buyers to buy a property with the help of an equity loan (which can be used as a deposit). This includes the introduction of the new HomeBuy Direct scheme (which will give up to 18,000 first time buyers the opportunity to access affordable home ownership with an equity loan of up to 30 per cent. (funded on equal terms by Government and the participating developers).
	We recently announced that local authorities would be invited to bid for social housing grant to build new affordable housing. We are now consulting on changes to the revenue and capital rules which would enable them to compete for this subsidy.

France (Channel)-England Programme Managing Authority

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many meetings of the France (Channel)-England Programme Managing Authority representatives of  (a) her Department and  (b) the Government office for the south-east have attended in the last 12 months.

Sadiq Khan: Officials from CLG have attended five meetings over the last 12 months of the programme Managing Authority of the 2007-13 Interreg IVA Cross-Border France-England Channel programme.
	Officials from the Government office for the south-east have attended three meetings of the programme Managing Authority over the same period.

Home Information Packs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) home information packs and  (b) home condition reports have been subsidised through central funding.

Margaret Beckett: Our records show that as part of the Area Trials research, which ran from November 2006 to April 2007, 4,315 HIPs were subsidised by central Government of which 1,487 included a subsidised home condition report.

Homebuy Scheme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent on the Social Homebuy scheme since its inception.

Margaret Beckett: Social HomeBuy is a voluntary demand-led scheme. Registered social landlords who choose to offer the scheme to their tenants bid to the Homes and Communities Agency for grant to cover the discount offered to the tenant. From April 2006 to end of January 2009, spend through the National Affordable Housing programme totalled 3.4 million.
	No funding is provided to local authorities offering the scheme other than 132,770 given to help early pilots with development and set up costs in 2006-07.

Housing Challenge

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the written ministerial statement of 16 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 17-19WS, on the Housing Challenge document, if she will place in the Library a copy of the letter sent to regional assembly chairs on the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit's advice.

Margaret Beckett: The letters sent in July 2008 by the Minister for Housing and Planning to the chairs of the regional assemblies concerning the NHPAU's advice have been deposited in the Library.
	These letters were published on the 16 July 2008 and are available online:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/guidanceregionalstrategy

Housing: Sales

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the evidential basis was for the statement made by the Minister of State (Housing) that there had been an upturn in the property market in her interview with  The Sunday Times on 18 January 2009; who the Minister of State consulted before making this statement; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The Government recognise that the housing market faces significant challenges.
	In my interview with  The Sunday Times I did not state that there has been an upturn in the property market. I was asked about the state of the housing market. In my reply, I mentioned that a number of recent surveys and professional groups have reported that buyer inquiries are rising, including the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). However, mortgage availability remains a key barrier.
	To help people who are struggling to get onto the housing ladder we introduced the HomeBuy Direct scheme which is designed to help up to 18,000 first time buyers through shared equity. Measures announced by the Chancellor on 19 January are intended to support lending.

Housing: Standards

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the minimum Code for Sustainable Homes standard will be for private sector homes built in eco-towns; and what the minimum standard is for new sector private housing built in other areas.

Margaret Beckett: The standards homes built in eco-towns must reach, are set out in the draft Eco-towns Planning Policy Statement (PPS), published for consultation on 4 November 2008. Copies of the draft PPS are available in the House Library.
	Building regulation sets the minimum standards for house building. The Code for Sustainable Homes is a voluntary standard for new private sector housing, unless there is a planning requirement as set out by the Planning Policy Statement on Climate Change (supplement to PPS 1).

Local Government

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding her Department plans to provide for the  (a) establishment and  (b) running costs of local authority leaders' boards.

John Healey: Development of regional strategies will require close working between local authorities and the Regional Development Agency (RDA) and each region will need to establish structures which best suit their overall arrangements.
	When local authority leaders' boards are established they will receive funding on the basis of an agreed business plan to cover their work on the Regional Strategy and any other agreed functions. It will be for the RDA and the local authority leaders' board to decide between them how their joint working arrangements are resourced.

Local Government Finance

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what requirements there are on local authorities to provide  (a) cashable and  (b) non-cashable efficiency savings in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

John Healey: Government have committed to achieving at least 3 per cent. value for money savings per year across central and local government over the 2007 comprehensive spending review (CSR07) period of 2008-09 to 2010-11. As their contribution to this challenge, councils in England are expected to achieve at least 4.9 billion cash-releasing efficiencies. The local government value for money delivery plan (www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/deliveringvaluefor money) sets out a trajectory of 1.5 billion cumulative savings by the end of March 2009 and 3.2 billion by the end of March 2010. There are no expectations with respect to non- cashable efficiencies in CSR07.
	There are no mandatory efficiency targets for individual councils, although targets have been agreed as part of seven local area agreements. The value of efficiencies achieved by all English councils and fire and rescue services will be published on and with council tax bills from this year so that citizens can see what progress is being made by their local authorities.

Local Government Finance

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether account is taken of the level of local authority reserves in allocating central grants to local authorities.

John Healey: No.

Local Government Finance

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate has been made of the level of exposure of local authorities'  (a) pension funds and  (b) deposits with funds operated by Mr. Bernard Madoff.

John Healey: No estimate of the level of exposure of local authorities' pension funds and deposits to the Madoff hedge fund has been made. With regard to pension funds, investment/funding strategy and individual stock selection is a matter for the 89 individual pension funds in England and Wales, who are accountable for their decisions.
	Under the Local Government Act 2003, local authorities are responsible for their own investment decisions. The Department's guidance on local government investments is available at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/capital/data/lginvest2.pdf

Local Government: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which seaside towns were included in the first wave of multi-area agreements; and which seaside towns she expects to enter into agreements as part of future waves of the multi-area agreement scheme.

John Healey: Ten MAAs have been signed. The local authorities with seaside towns included in these are Bournemouth and North Tyneside, which includes Whitley Bay, and Sefton council, which contains the seaside town of Southport.
	Other agreements in development include the West of England MAA, which involves Weston-super-Mare, and Fylde Coast MAA, which involves Blackpool.
	A copy of the 10 multi-area agreements will be deposited in the Library.

Local Government: Fraud

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the target maximum period of time is for a council to conduct an anti-fraud investigation.

John Healey: Fraud investigations undertaken by councils operate within the rules, procedures and codes required for the particular type of investigation being undertaken, typically criminal, civil or employment focused in nature. As such there is no specific maximum period for a council to conduct an anti-fraud investigation.

Local Government: Lancashire

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) chief executives of local authorities and  (b) local authority employees in Lancashire earned more than 100,000 in 2007.

John Healey: Central Government do not collect the information requested. However, the local government employers conducts an annual survey of chief executive and chief officer salaries and workforce numbers. The results of this survey are available on their website at:
	http://www.lge.gov.uk/lge/core/page.do?pageId=119009

Local Government: Publicity

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether she plans to make an assessment of the appropriateness of the legislative requirements on local authorities to place statutory notices in local newspapers;
	(2)  which recommendations of the Killian-Pretty review of planning she plans to implement.

Iain Wright: At the launch of the final report on 24 November 2008, my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Housing identified two recommendations on extending further permitted development rights for businesses and public services and reducing information requirements that we would be taking forward immediately. Among the other recommendations of the review was one that local authorities should be given greater autonomy and flexibility to determine the best approaches to use in order to notify the public about planning applications. We will set out the Government's response to the remaining recommendations in the Killian Pretty Report shortly. Any proposals for substantive policy changes would be subject to consultation.

Local Government: Standards

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made towards the development of an indicator to monitor numbers of benefit claimants in defined small areas under the new Local Government Performance Framework; and which bodies will be responsible for  (a) data collection and  (b) distribution of information on performance against the indicator.

John Healey: Indicator 153 in the National Indicator Set measures 'Working age people claiming out of work benefits in the worst performing neighbourhoods'. The data for this indicator is collected through Jobcentre Plus. We have no current plans for any new indicator monitoring benefit claimants in small areas. Consideration of any new indicators within the National Indicator Set will be taken forward as part of preparations for the next government spending review.
	Performance against all the National Indicators in each local area will be included in annual reporting of the new Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) by the local public service inspectorates. The first CAA reports are expected in November 2009.

Lord Truscott

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) she and  (b) Ministers in her Department have received representations from (i) Lord Truscott, (ii) Lord Moonie, (iii) Lord Taylor of Blackburn and (iv) Lord Snape in the last 12 months.

Sadiq Khan: The only representations received from the noble Lords referred to in the question are as follows:
	After the Secretary of State issued her decision to refuse planning permission for development of a natural gas storage facility at Preesall Saltfield, Fleetwood, Lancashire on 16 October 2007, Lord Taylor of Blackburn asked my noble Friend Baroness Andrews whether representatives of Canatxx Ltd. could meet officials. Representatives of Canatxx met policy officials on 6 December 2007 to discuss general policy on gas storage facilities.
	In the summer of 2008, Lord Taylor of Blackburn requested information from my noble Friend Baroness Andrews about Newark as a growth point and related planning cases.

Luton Borough Council: Finance

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what grants, other than local government finance settlements, her Department and its predecessors have made in respect of the Luton Borough Council area in each year since 1997.

Sadiq Khan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government gave on 7 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1304-05W.
	Furthermore, the following table gives an update on the final outturn figures for 2007-08 and planned expenditure for this financial year for grants made by this Department other than local government finance settlements.
	
		
			   million 
			   2007-08  final outturn  2008-09 plan 
			 Supporting People Programme 4.646 4.520 
			 ERDF 5.840 3.504 
			 Planning Delivery Grant(1) 0.440 0.116 
			 Homelessness programme 0.120 0.120 
			 Disabled Facilities Grant 0.487 0.510 
			 Growth Areas Programme(2) 9.279 19.566 
			 LA Supported Capital Expenditure for Housing 1.756 1.756 
			 Regional Housing Pots 0.342 1.000 
			 Community Infrastructure Fund  4.784 
			 Local Area Agreements(2,3) 4.529  
			 Area Based Grant(2)  10.259 
			 Total 27.439 46.135 
			 (1) In 2008, the Planning Delivery Grant programme was replaced by Housing and Planning Delivery-Grant. (2) Figures are allocated funding. (3) Direct funding from Communities and local Government for local Area Agreement grants, which was a pooling of many different types of grants previously funded separately, ceased, in 2008 and was absorbed by the commencement of the Area Based Grant in April 2008.

McKinsey

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 779W, on McKinsey, if she will place in the Library a copy of each document provided to participants in the Communities High Level Seminar.

Sadiq Khan: The documents have been placed in the House Library.

Non-Domestic Rates

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the change in revenue which will result from the planned revaluation of national non-domestic rates in April 2010.

John Healey: No estimate has been made of the change in revenue which will result from the planned revaluation of national non-domestic rates in April 2010. After a revaluation, the overall national multiplier is set to ensure that the national non-domestic rates yield stays the same, only allowing for a change in inflation.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her estimate is of the average business rate bill in England in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1081W

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her estimate is of the percentage change in the level of business rates bills in England between 2008-09 and 2009-10.

John Healey: Data are currently being collected from local authorities and details of the level of non-domestic rates to be collected in England in 2009-10 will be published in due course.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the transitional relief in the 2010 business rates revaluation will be financed.

John Healey: The legislation requires that the transitional scheme be designed with the objective of being self financing. We will be consulting on the details of the 2010 scheme over the summer 2009.

Non-Domestic Rates: Business

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether workplace parking spaces are valued for business rates purposes.

John Healey: Workplace parking spaces can add to the rental value of office or other business premises and are therefore taken into account in arriving at rateable value for non-domestic rates.

Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations her Department has received on the abolition of empty property tax relief for commercial premises in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The Department have received representations on empty property tax relief from industry representative groups, individual property owners both directly and through ministerial correspondence.

Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 24 November 2008,  Official Report, column 111W, on non-domestic rates: empty property, if she will place in the Library a copy of the written representation from the urban regeneration companies.

John Healey: I have placed in the library a copy of the letter received from the urban regeneration companies.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Answer of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 351W, on non-domestic rates: ports, how the figure of approximately 200 million for the aggregate rateable value was calculated.

John Healey: The figure of 200 million was an initial estimate, for England, of the aggregate of the port operators' and port occupiers' properties in the large ports of their rating assessments, based on information available at the time.
	Since 6 October 2008, work has been undertaken to deal with inquiries and appeals in respect of those properties within ports, following consultation with ratepayers.

Non-Domestic Rates: Small Businesses

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much small business rate relief was claimed in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2005-06; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), 22 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1660W.

Planning Permission

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what planning advice or guidance her Department and its predecessors have issued to local planning authorities on diversity and equality in planning since 1997.

Iain Wright: The Department (then the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) published 'Diversity and Equality in Planning: A good practice guide' in 2005, aimed at helping planners to better understand the important role that planning can play in supporting the Government's commitment to tackling disadvantage.

Planning Permission

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Infrastructure Planning Commission will start assessing planning applications; and what the target time is for the Commission to process such applications.

Iain Wright: Our expectation is that the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) will be ready to begin receiving applications in spring 2010. In most circumstances, cases will be decided within a year from application.

Regional Ministers: Official Engagements

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the official engagements were for the Minister for  (a) London,  (b) Yorkshire and the Humber,  (c) the South East,  (d) the North West;  (e) the East of England, (f) the East Midlands,  (g) the South West,  (h) the North East and  (i) the West Midlands in their roles as regional ministers from 1 to 31 January 2009; and what the length of time spent on each engagement was.

Sadiq Khan: I am depositing a table of this information in the Library.
	Accurate information on the length of time spent on each engagement could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Regional Ministers: Official Engagements

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the official engagements were for  (a) the Minister for the North West,  (b) the Minister for the East of England,  (c) the Minister for the East Midlands,  (d) the Minister for the South West,  (e) the Minister for the North East and (f) the Minister for the West Midlands in their roles as regional ministers from (i) 1 to 31 October, (ii) 1 to 30 November and (iii) 1 to 31 December 2008; and what the length of time spent on each engagement was.

Sadiq Khan: I am depositing a table of this information in the Library. Accurate information on the length of time spent on each engagement can be provided at only disproportionate cost.

Rented Housing: Foreigners

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many general needs lettings were made by  (a) local authorities and  (b) registered social landlords to nationals of (i) EEA countries and (ii) non-EEA countries in the latest year for which figures are available.

Margaret Beckett: Information on the number of foreign national households allocated social housing is collected in the Continuous Recording of Letting form (CORE). A question on nationality was first introduced to the form for the 2006-07 data collection period. CORE is collected on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government by St. Andrew's University. Historically CORE has only collected information from registered social landlords. An increasing number of local authorities are now providing information through this process as well, but there are still some gaps in the data.
	In 2007-08 for registered social landlords, there were 2,060 new general needs lettings made to foreign nationals from European Economic Area (EEA) countries and 2,020 from non-EEA countries.
	The number of local authority general needs lettings is estimated using an adjustment for missing data. This is not yet available for 2007-08 and is expected to be completed by March 2009.

Right to Buy Scheme: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much local authority housing stock in West Chelmsford constituency has been sold under the right-to-buy scheme in each year since 1997.

Margaret Beckett: We do not have figures at constituency level, so all figures are shown for Chelmsford borough council.
	The following table shows the number of local authority right to buy sales in the borough of Chelmsford , for each year since 1997-98. Chelmsford borough council transferred its housing stock to registered social landlords (RSLs) in March 2002. There have consequently been no sales of local authority housing stock under the scheme in Chelmsford since that date.
	The preserved right to buy scheme is available to RSL tenants who were formerly local authority secure tenants and moved to RSL landlords with their homes under the stock transfers. Figures for preserved right to buy sales alone are not available at local authority level, but combined figures for RSL right to buy, right to buy and right to acquire sales are available, and the following shows these figures for the borough of Chelmsford.
	
		
			   LA right to buy sales in Chelmsford  RSL sales of social housing in Chelmsford 
			 1997-98 142  
			 1998-99 120  
			 1999-2000 169  
			 2000-01 156  
			 2001-02 149 2 
			 2002-03 0 144 
			 2003-04 0 59 
			 2004-05 0 36 
			 2005-06 0 19 
			 2006-07 0 26 
			 2007-08 0 18 
			  Source: Quarterly P1B returns submitted by local authorities to Communities and Local Government, and Regulatory and Statistical Returns (RSR) submitted by Social Landlords to the Tenant Services Authority.

Social Mobility

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the likely effects of the reduction in levels of sub-prime lending upon social mobility.

Margaret Beckett: The Government recognise that access to financial assets can play a key role in determining future outcomes. We are committed to supporting people's ambitions to own their own home, where this is sustainable, and we are determined to improve access to assets for all families.
	We recognise that, despite the recent fall in house prices, the turbulence in the global financial markets has resulted in severe restrictions on mortgages and in many cases a requirement for purchasers to have significant deposits, making it harder for first time buyers to get on the housing ladder.
	We are taking a range of measures in response to these difficult market conditions. For example, we have introduced HomeBuy Direct, a new scheme offered in partnership with house builders that is designed to help up to 18,000 first-time buyers into affordable home ownership with the aid of an equity loan of up to 30 per cent. (which can be used as a deposit). We are also taking steps to improve mortgage funding markets, as this is key to lowering mortgage costs and increasing the availability of affordable mortgages. Following on the Crosby Report's recommendations on mortgage finance markets, the Government will provide up to 50 billion of guarantees on new mortgage lending (and eventually on other assets).

Social Rented Housing: Standards

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the costs of renovating social housing which does not meet the decent homes standard in  (a) Ribble Valley,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) nationally to a condition which does meet the standard.

Iain Wright: The cost per house of meeting the decent homes standard varies across the country and the Department does not collect those figures separately.
	Local authorities are refurbishing the houses in their areas either at or above the decent homes standard. What the improved standard is and how it will be achieved will be determined by local circumstances and the level of resources that can be brought to the programme locally.
	Ribble Valley borough council transferred its housing to a registered social landlord, Ribble Valley Homes, on 31 March 2008 under large scale voluntary transfer arrangements, in order to deliver the Decent Homes investment required.

Valuation Tribunal Service

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will ensure that Valuation Tribunal decisions relating to council tax liability cases are published in full on the Valuation Tribunal Service website, with personal information redacted.

John Healey: No. This is a matter for the Valuation Tribunal Service to decide.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Bristol

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the  (a) transport,  (b) staff and  (c) administrative costs were of the visit made by the Minister of State for Schools to Bristol West constituency on 12 May 2008.

Jim Knight: I did not visit Bristol West on 12 May 2008.

Children in Care

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to ensure that children in care are provided with stable accommodation.

Beverley Hughes: Through the White Paper Care Matters: Time for Change and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 the Government have put in place a range of measures to improve stability for looked after children.
	Through the Fostering Changes training programme and the Multi-dimensional Treatment Foster Care and Social Pedagogy pilots we are taking action to help improve the range of support and skills for foster carers and residential workers to help them meet the needs of looked after children to prevent placement breakdown.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 2-3WS, on ContactPoint, on what date he next intends to provide an update on progress on ContactPoint.

Beverley Hughes: As mentioned in the written ministerial statement of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 2-3WS we will provide an update in spring 2009.

Children: Day Care

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how much Ofsted received in registration fees from all child care settings in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much Ofsted received in registration fees from child minders working with children aged  (a) under five and  (b) five to eight years old in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 26 January 2009
	These are matters for Ofsted. The chief inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and copies of her replies have been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 26 January 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Table A shows figures for the total received by Ofsted in childcare registration fees. The data referring to childminder registration fees relate to the registration of individual childminders. The data referring to daycare relate to the registration of providers who provide more than four hours of childcare per day. The data referring to sessional daycare relate to the registration of providers who provide less than four hours of childcare per day.
	
		
			  Table A: Total received by Ofsted in child care registration fees 
			   
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Child Minder 894,223 910,837 874,046 911,682 1,008,894 
			 Day Care 1,553,119 1,794,011 2,016,046 2,168,607 2,381,325 
			 Sessional Day Care 189,335 412,111 215,088 184,511 188,969 
			 Total 2,636,677 3,116,958 3,105,180 3,264,800 3,579,188 
		
	
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 26 January 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Prior to the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage in September 2008, the age of the children using a provider did not affect its registration fee. We are, therefore, unable to readily identify the total received in registration fees from childminders working with children aged (a) under five and (b) five to eight years old in each of the last five years. Data covering the total received by Ofsted in childminder fees in the last five years are included in my response to Parliamentary Question 251412.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Citizenship: Education

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the findings of the sixth annual Citizenship Education Longitudinal Study report; and what changes he has made to citizenship educational policy as a result.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The findings from each annual report of the Citizenship Education Longitudinal study cannot be viewed in isolation. Together they will inform policy development and enable us to improve the quality and delivery of citizenship education. The sixth annual report recognises that citizenship education, although a very helpful measure, is unlikely by itself to address the 'democratic deficit'. It suggests that schools and citizenship education provision are likely to have an indirect influence through democracy in schools and student efficacy on student attitudes and intentions. As we set out in the Children's Plan, the Government's aim are for all young people to want and be able to participate and take responsible action. We believe that the new duty on schools to invite and consider the views of pupils on matters that affect them will help to strengthen efficacy levels among children and young people and encourage them to continue to play an active part in their community.

Citizenship: Education

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools have adopted the Active Citizens in Schools programme.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not collect information on the number of schools who have adopted the Active Citizens in Schools programme.

Crimes Against Humanity: Anniversaries

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the merits of the observance in educational institutions of a day of remembrance for crimes against humanity.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: It is for schools to decide whether to observe days of remembrance or celebration and how that might fit with the curriculum or the wider education of the students. However, there are some elements of history that we believe are of vital importance and will continue to ensure that they are covered by all schoolsthe study of the Holocaust is one of these. Holocaust Memorial Day aims to encourage greater awareness among young people of the relevance of the Holocaust and the need for mutual respect and understanding. It is supported by a Government funded education pack.

Departmental Air Travel

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many official journeys  (a) he and  (b) his officials have made by plane since his Department was established.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families has not made any official journeys by plane.
	The number of plane journeys taken by DCSF officials was 815. The data provided is based on bookings dealt with by the DCSF's business travel booking service provider (Carlson Wagonlit Travel).
	Any flights not booked by the Department's travel provider can be provided only at disproportionate costs.
	Travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code respectively.

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in departmental buildings in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007.
	There has been nil expenditure on work and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Departmental Computers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether officials of his Department who have lost laptops that were the property of his Department have been charged the full replacement value of the item in each case.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has not charged any of its officials the full replacement value for lost laptops.

Departmental Pay

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department and its predecessors spent on  (a) salaries and  (b) bonuses for staff in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The following table summarises the gross salaries and other payments made to permanent staff (including ministers and special advisers) from financial year 1999-2000 to 2007-08. These figures are drawn from the Department's published resource accounts. Figures prior to 1999-2000 were produced using different accounting principles and can only be reproduced on a comparable basis at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Department  Salaries( 1)   ( million) 
			 2007-08 Department for Children Schools and Families 98 
			 2006-07 Department for Education and Skills 115 
			 2005-06 Department for Education and Skills 119 
			 2004-05 Department for Education and Skills 125 
			 2003-04 Department for Education and Skills 130 
			 2002-03 Department for Education and Skills 117 
			 2001-02 Department for Education and Skills 110 
			 2000-01 Department for Education and Employment 681 
			 1999-2000 Department for Education and Employment 640 
			 (1 )The salary figure includes: gross salary; performance pay and bonuses; overtime; reserved rights to London weighting or London allowances; recruitment and retention allowances; private office allowances; and other allowances to the extent they are subject to UK taxation. 
		
	
	Separate information on bonus payments made to staff would be available only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost of his Department's contracts with public relations consultancies was in each year since it was established.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and families was established on 27 June 2007. Including its predecessor (the Department for Education and Skills) the Department's expenditure on public relations in 2007-08 was 2,333,000. There are no figures available for 2008-09 at present.
	The Department employs public relations agencies for specific communications tasks, most commonly working alongside our press office to provide campaign support in local, regional and specialist media.

Departmental Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many staff in his Department left under  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 2005-06; how many of them in each case were paid (i) up to 25,000, (ii) 25,001 to 50,000, (iii) 50,001 to 75,000, (iv) 75,001 to 100,000 and (v) over 100,000 in the year before they left; and how much (A) was spent in each of those years and (B) is planned to be spent on such schemes in (1) 2008-09 and (2) 2009-10 by his Department.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department was created on 27 June 2007. Since its inception, the number of employees released under the voluntary release scheme and the total cost over the remaining years stated are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of employees  Total Cost( 1)  ( million) 
			 2007-08 118 (2)9.2 
			 2008-09 24 (2) 
			 2009-10 58 (2) 
			 (1) The 9.2million shown in the table covers releases agreed and accounted for in 2007-08 and agreed release dates up to 2009-10. (2) Indicates brace. 
		
	
	Information on individual voluntary exit scheme payments to staff for each of those years is not available in the form requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	There have been were no compulsory redundancies.

Departmental Surveys

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department's central media and communication unit spent on public surveys in each of the last three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since its inception in June 2007 the Department has spent 1,845,528 on public surveys. This figure is inclusive of VAT and includes current spend to 19 January 2009.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent by his Department on  (a) agency and  (b) temporary staff in each year since it was established.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since its inception, the Department's spend on agency staff for each year is set out as follows:
	
		
			   Agency () 
			 July-December 2007 333,015 
			 January-December 2008 1,219,428 
		
	
	The Department also employs people on other short term contracts but information on salary costs by length of contract could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the Answer of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 186W, on departmental training, what personal training courses at public expense other Ministers in his Department have undertaken since 1 January 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Ministers in the Department for Children, Schools and Families have taken the following personal training courses at public expense since 1 January 2008:
	Induction Workshop, Action Learning Set, Media Training, Select Committee Training.

Departmental Working Hours

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what the policy of his Department and its agencies is on granting staff time off in lieu for working  (a) in lunch breaks,  (b) in evenings and  (c) at other times outside contracted working hours; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many days off in lieu were granted to staff in  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies for working (i) in lunch breaks and (ii) at other times outside contracted working hours, in the last year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is not held centrally in the Department or in non-departmental public bodies and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	As part of the Department's flexible working arrangements, employees from Grade 6 to Executive Assistant can work flexitime. These arrangements do not apply to members of the senior civil service
	The Department has no agencies.

Dyslexia

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what support his Department provides to schools to assist pupils with dyslexia;
	(2)  what plans his Department has for future teaching methods for dyslexic children.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Sir Jim Rose is currently developing recommendations, in the light of evidence, on the identification and teaching of children with dyslexia. We are now looking forward to Sir Jim publishing these recommendations in the spring.
	All local authorities, schools and early years settings must have regard to the special educational needs (SEN) code of practice which provides advice on carrying out statutory duties to identify, assess and make provision for pupils' with SEN. Children with dyslexia should have their needs identified and support put in place in the same way as for other children with SEN.
	We have launched a professional development resource for those working in schools, called the Inclusion Development (IDP) Programme. This is being distributed to local authorities and schools through the National Strategies. It offers professional development in key areas of SEN, starting with training on communication difficulties including dyslexia.
	We are also working with a number of dyslexia organisations to promote best practice in identifying and supporting children and young people with dyslexia in schools. This includes helping fund the 'No to Failure' project which brings together dyslexia organisations in trailblazing and evaluating the impact of both specialist training for teachers and specialist tuition for pupils with dyslexia, and the British Dyslexia Association helpline which provides advice about dyslexia to teachers as well as parents.

Education: Assessment

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research his Department has commissioned to assess the effect of testing in schools upon the mental well-being of pupils.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has established an Expert Group on Testing and Assessment. The group is reviewing pupil well being as part of its remit, giving consideration to what advice should be provided to schools to ensure that preparation for national curriculum tests at Key Stage 2 is proportionate and educationally appropriate. The group's findings will be used to inform future plans for testing and assessment.
	The evaluation of Single Level Tests under the Making Good Progress pilot included consideration of pupils' experience of testing in an interim Report (Evaluation of the Making Good Progress, Research Report DCSF-RR065), which was published in December 2008. The majority of interviewees who commented on pupils' Single Level Test experiences in the report, considered that pupils were generally not stressed by the tests involved, because they were pitched at the 'right' level.

Education: Standards

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effects of the implementation of the recommendation in the Faith in the System report on education as a whole; and what costs to his Department arose in the production and distribution of the report.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Faith in the System: the role of schools with a religious character in English education and society was launched on 10 September 2007 and outlined the Government's and faith schools providers' shared vision on the role of faith schools in the English education system and wider society. The document does not represent a set of new policy initiatives but aims to dispel some of the common myths and misunderstanding around faiths schools. In it, the Government and faith leaders of all faiths that have publicly funded schools in England reaffirmed their commitment to continue to work together and with all schools to improve the life chances of children, to build bridges to greater mutual trust and understanding, and contribute to a just and cohesive society, while nurturing children in their faith and as engaged citizens. We know that the principles of Faith in the System are embedded in faith schools and that they are committed to working with other schools and to meeting the needs of all pupils, whether they are of the faith or not.
	For example, the Board of Deputies of British Jews have developed the Shared Futures linking project, which aims to link minority faith schools and schools without a religious character where the significant majority of pupils are of a single faith. The Church of England (CofE) is now committed to reserving 25 per cent. of school places at new CofE schools for pupils from the local neighbourhood regardless of faith background or none; and last year, the Catholic Education Service (CES) launched new preliminary guidance for all Catholic schools in England on the statutory duty to promote community cohesion.
	The faith groups are now working together to take forward Faith in the System, with the CES taking the lead in organising a follow-up conference, which is due to be held in autumn this year.
	The costs of printing the Faith in the System document were 5,208 (6,119 including VAT). No other substantial additional costs have arisen in relation to this resource as staff time in facilitating the working groups and drafting the document does not represent an additional cost.

Equality: Education

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the merits of teaching intercultural competencies;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to issue guidance to its agencies on the use of the descriptors of key competencies for intercultural communication in the design and implementation of curricula at all levels of education, including teacher training.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 2 February 2009
	 It is crucial that young people have the right skills to compete in an increasingly fast changing global economy. Communication skills in other languages, combined with an understanding and appreciation of other cultures, will become increasingly important for the jobs of the future. We have made no specific assessment of this issue and have no plans to issue specific guidance to schools on intercultural competencies. However, intercultural understanding is a key concept within compulsory language learning for 11 to 14-year-olds, where pupils learn to appreciate other cultures, recognise different ways of seeing the world, develop an international look and communicate with native speakers where possible.
	Citizenship education equips pupils with the knowledge and skills needed for effective and democratic participation. This includes such areas as the changing nature of UK society, the diversity of ideas, beliefs, cultures, identities, traditions, perspectives and values that are shared; migration to, from and within the UK and the reasons for this, the UK's relations with the European Union and the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the world as a global community.

Foreign Languages: Assessments

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what criteria are used when assessing whether a foreign language should be approved as a new GCSE subject;
	(2)  if he will support the introduction of a foreign language  (a) GCSE and  (b) A Level qualification in Serbian.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Decisions as to which languages are offered at GCSE or A-level are for awarding bodies to take in the light of demand. The Department is not aware of any plans to introduce a GCSE or A-level qualification in Serbian. Further details on getting qualifications accredited are available from the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator, whose website is
	www.ofqual.gov.uk.

Free School Meals: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children received free school meals in West Chelmsford constituency in  (a) 1997 and  (b) each of the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information is shown in the table, together with the numbers of children eligible for free school meals. The numbers receiving free school meals on census day are regarded as less reliable than the numbers eligible.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery and primary schools, state-funded secondary schools: school meal arrangementsPosition in January each year 1997 and 2004 to 2008, West Chelmsford parliamentary constituency 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 1) 
			   Number on roll( 3)  Number of pupils taking free school means  Percentage taking free school meals  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 1997 8,851 806 9.1 1,007 11.4 
			 2004 8,295 609 7.3 777 9.4 
			 2005 8,255 605 7.3 745 9.0 
			 2006 8,158 624 7.6 707 8.7 
			 2007 8,116 630 7.8 690 8.5 
			 2008 8,146 621 7.6 677 8.3 
		
	
	
		
			   State-funded secondary schools( 1,2) 
			   Number on roll( 3)  Number of pupils taking free school means  Percentage taking free school meals  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 1997 8,239 415 5.0 551 6.7 
			 2004 8,818 356 4.0 458 5.2 
			 2005 8,745 364 4.2 468 5.4 
			 2006 8,777 418 4.8 549 6.3 
			 2007 8,678 413 4.8 501 5.8 
			 2008 8,533 349 4.1 446 5.2 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed.  (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies.  (3) Includes dually registered pupils, excludes boarding pupils.   Source:  Schools Census

Functional Skills Qualifications

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the outcomes of the first 1,000 pilots of the Functional Skills qualifications.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Functional Skills pilot is being managed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and will last for three years. It started in September 2007 and ends in 2010. QCA are evaluating the pilot throughout that period and will be publishing summaries of the evaluation reports.

GCE A Level

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of students received lower A level grades than predicted in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department does not hold this information as we do not collect information on predicted A level grades.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students in  (a) independent and  (b) maintained schools took English literature GCSE in (a) 1997, (b) 2003 and (c) the latest year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The numbers of pupils attempting English literature GCSE in maintained and independent schools in 1997, 2003 and 2008 are given as follows:
	
		
			   Maintained schools  Independent schools 
			 2007/08 472,575 38,933 
			 2002/03 481,440 35,458 
			 1996/97 422,619 35,985 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for 2007/08 relate to pupils at the end of Key Stage 4, for 1996/97 and 2002/03 the figures relate to 15-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August). 2. Figures include attempts by these pupils in previous academic years. Only one attempt is counted per pupil. 3. The figures are derived from the Achievement and Attainment Tables data.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students took both mathematics and physics GCSE in  (a) independent and  (b) maintained schools in the last five years for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: holding answer 29 January 2009
	The numbers of pupils attempting both mathematics and physics GCSE in maintained and independent schools for the last five years are given as follows:
	
		
			   Maintained schools  Independent schools 
			 2007/08 52,830 8,689 
			 2006/07 36,533 9,607 
			 2005/06 34,267 12,426 
			 2004/05 30,942 13,698 
			 2003/04 28,293 13,938 
			  Notes: 1. Figures relate to pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 except in 2003/04 for which the figures relate to 15-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August). 2. Figures include attempts by these pupils in previous academic years. Only one attempt is counted per pupil. 3. The figures are derived from the Achievement and Attainment Tables data.

Literacy: Advisory Services

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many literacy advisers are employed by the National Strategies for early years, primary and secondary teachers, practitioners and managers.

Jim Knight: There are 46 English/literacy advisers employed by the National Strategies across the early years, primary and secondary sectors. Their principle role is to provide support to local authorities, schools and early years settings, including training and professional development materials which are provided free.

Music Standards Fund

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department has provided to the Music Standards Fund as by  (a) baseline funding and  (b) the Music Standards Fund grant in each of the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The following table shows how much funding has been allocated through the Music Standards Fund in each of the last five years. In addition to the baseline amount of 297.5 million a further 52 million has been allocated to local authorities to encourage the development of programmes designed to increase the number of pupils at KS2 able to learn a musical instrument.
	
		
			   million (rounded) 
			   Baseline  Additional for KS2  Total 
			 2004-05 59.5 0 59.5 
			 2005-06 59.5 1.5 61 
			 2006-07 59.5 4.5 64 
			 2007-08 59.5 23 82.5 
			 2008-09 59.5 23 82.5 
			 Total 297.5 52 349.5

Music: Education

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been  (a) allocated and  (b) spent on musical instrument tuition for young people in schools since December 2007.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department allocated 82,567,000 to local authorities in both 2007-08 and 2008-09 through the Music Standards Fund. We have asked local authorities to prioritise the provision of instrumental and vocal tuition at Key Stage 2 with this funding but we neither specify nor collect information on the actual amount that is spent on instrumental tuition. We are also investing 10 million per year to 2011 for the purchase of musical instruments.

Music: Education

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to encourage an increase in uptake of music  (a) GCSE and  (b) A level courses.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department allocated 82,567,000 to local authorities in both 2007-08 and 2008-09 through the Music Standards Fund. We have asked local authorities to prioritise the provision of instrumental and vocal tuition at Key Stage 2 with this funding. We are also investing 10 million per year to 2011 on Sing Up, the National Singing Programme spearheaded by Howard Goodall. With this early introduction to quality music experiences we believe that children will come to see themselves as musicians and will have a real and long-lasting enjoyment of music which will encourage them to continue their learning as they move into secondary school. The compulsory Music Curriculum at Key Stage 3 is now much more focussed on performance and hands-on music making. The curriculum builds on students' own interests and skills and should, therefore, engage them more fully which in turn will encourage them to continue with their studies in music through to GCSE and A Level.

Music: Education

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school pupils were learning a musical instrument in each year since 2000.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: While this information is not collected centrally, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 15 July 2008  Official Report, column 384W. That reply states the percentage of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils reported as receiving specialist instrumental or vocal tuition in the surveys conducted by the Institute of Education, University of London in 2002, 2005 and 2007.
	Data on secondary school pupils was not collected from Music Services in 2007. The 2005 Survey of Local Authority Music Services reported that overall, 8.4 per cent. of pupils Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4 were learning to play an instrument, a small increase on the figures for 2002. The 2005 report also pointed out that one of the obstacles to increasing the number of pupils playing was the legislation preventing charging for groups larger than four pupils. That legislation has since been amended.
	The survey reports are available at
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/research.

Music: Teachers

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent from the public purse on the fund established for the professional development of music teachers in each year since it was established.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since September 2006, when the contract was let, 3.3 million has been spent to develop and deliver a programme of professional development for those working with children at Key Stage 2 in music. This breaks down as follows: 1.1 million in 2006-07, 1.3 million in 2007-08 and 0.9 million to date in 2008-09.

Physical Education: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding has been  (a) allocated and  (b) spent as part of the PE and Sport Strategy.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Since 2003, investment in the PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) Strategy and the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People (PESSYP) has totalled over 2.2 billion. This has been allocated and spent, as follows:
	
		
			   
			   Allocated  Spend 
			 PESSCL (2003-08) 1,500,000,000 1,500,000,000 
			 PESSYP (2008-11) 755,000,000 (1)251,000,000 
			 (1) Forecast spend as at 31 March 2009.

Playgrounds

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many local authorities have obtained capital funding to support the delivery of stimulating local places to play since the publication of the children's plan;
	(2)  how many of the proposed new adventure playgrounds referred to on page 101 of his Department's Annual Report have been built;
	(3)  when the  (a) play strategy and  (b) outcomes of the consultation on the strategy was published.

Beverley Hughes: In April 2008 a first wave of 63 (20 Pathfinder and 43 Playbuilder) local authorities started receiving their play capital and revenue funding. By April 2009, all local authorities will have been offered funding of at least 1 million.
	On average over the course of the programme, each play Pathfinder authority will receive around 2 million capital funding and 500,000 revenue funding, and each Playbuilder authority will receive around 1 million capital and 45,000 revenue funding.
	Each play Pathfinder authority will deliver a staffed adventure playground to support local children most in need of improved play opportunities. Wave 1 Pathfinders are scheduled to complete 20 adventure play grounds in total by April 2010, and are on track to do so. The wave 2 Pathfinders starting in April 2009 have until 2011 to deliver 10 adventure playgrounds in total.
	The Play Strategy was on launched Wednesday 10 December 2008, by a written ministerial statement,  Official Report, column 51WSand a launch event at the White Horse Adventure Playground, Tower Hamlets, attended by my noble Friend Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children.
	The Play Strategy directly responds to a huge consultation response, including over 9,400 responses from children and young people themselves. 12 per cent. of responses came from disabled children. Key findings from the consultation response are highlighted throughout the Play Strategy document. Children, young people and families were clear that they want improved local play opportunities that are safe and exciting, and communities that are more child-friendly.

Pre-School Education: Manpower

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of staff in the childcare sector were qualified to at least level three in each of the last 30 years.

Beverley Hughes: The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects information on the proportion of staff in the child care sector qualified to at least level three. The following table shows the proportion of staff in the child care sector qualified to at least level three for 2003, 2006 and 2007 by different type of child care provider. The proportion of staff qualified to at least level 3 rose in all types of child care setting from 2003 to 2007. Data for earlier years are not available.
	
		
			  Percentage of paid child care staff with at least a level three qualification 
			   2003  2006  2007 
			 Full day care 57 73 72 
			 Full day care in children's centres n/a 80 82 
			 Sessional 44 58 61 
			 After school clubs 37 51 53 
			 Holiday clubs 30 53 54 
			 Child minders n/a 38 41 
			 Nursery schools 78 80 83 
			 Primary schools with nursery and reception classes 72 77 77 
			 Primary schools with reception but no nursery classes 64 71 73 
			  Notes: 1. Data include all paid child care staff from Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey. 2. Data are not available for all types of providers for 2003.

Primary Education

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his Department's policy is on allowing children born in August to delay starting school until after they have reached the age of five.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The latest a child can start primary school is at the beginning of the term immediately following their fifth birthday. There are no plans to change this.
	The remit for the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum, asks Sir Jim Rose to consider whether it be appropriate to allow more choice and flexibility in start dates for children entering school. The final report and recommendations will be published this spring.

Primary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is on the framework for the primary curriculum laid out in Sir Jim Rose's interim report.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: We welcome the provisional findings of the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum set out in the interim report. We look forward to receiving Sir Jim Rose's final report and recommendations for consideration in the spring.

Primary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to complete its work on progression statements and programmes of learning for the framework for the primary curriculum proposed in Sir Jim Rose's interim report.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority are working to a timetable that will allow Sir Jim Rose to provide his final advice and recommendations, including programmes of learning, in the spring.

Primary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what consideration he plans to give in his response to the Rose Review to the final report from the Cambridge Primary Review.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Sir Jim Rose is currently producing his final report of the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum. As part of his review he is taking into account a wide range of evidence and research. Jim Rose has met with members of the Cambridge Primary Review.

Primary Education

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to ensure that primary school children are not put under too much pressure academically.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has asked Sir Jim Rose to undertake a review of the primary curriculum. As part of his remit, Sir Jim will be reviewing the content of existing programmes of study and reducing prescription where possible. His interim report sets out proposals providing an entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum and a greater emphasis on children's personal development.
	We have set up an Expert Group on assessment who are examining the assessment system up to Key Stage 3. Part of their remit specifically states that they should state what advice schools should be given so that test preparation is proportionate, educationally appropriate, and that the delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum is not inhibited.

Primary Education: Class Sizes

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many five to seven-year-olds were educated in classes of at least  (a) 25 and  (b) 20 pupils in each local authority area in the latest year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Class size data is not collected by age of child. However, the following table shows classes as taught by national curriculum year group.
	
		
			  Maintained primary schools( 1) : classes taught by one teacher by year group ( 2) , as at January 2008, England 
			Classes taught by one teacher 
			Classes of size 20 to 24 pupils  Classes of size 25 and over pupils 
			Year group 1  Year group 2  Year group 3  Year group 1  Year group 2  Year group 3 
			   England 74,450 74,900 61,730 292,220 303,360 323,160 
			 
			   North East 5,350 5,240 4,110 10,680 11,750 13,090 
			 841 Darlington 181 210 86 662 672 789 
			 840 Durham 770 1,043 671 1,774 1,782 2,152 
			 390 Gateshead 296 219 152 570 780 881 
			 805 Hartlepool 301 112 255 280 439 410 
			 806 Middlesbrough 416 456 371 577 637 763 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 357 426 317 1,418 1,371 1,625 
			 392 North Tyneside 310 233 275 965 1,075 1,072 
			 929 Northumberland 666 490 204 1,091 1,372 1,451 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 311 352 389 521 663 517 
			 393 South Tyneside 339 273 170 870 679 931 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 632 606 488 783 842 940 
			 394 Sunderland 769 818 731 1,167 1,435 1,562 
			 
			   North West 10,950 11,060 9,490 37,330 40,450 43,840 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 220 226 184 1,179 1,212 1,303 
			 890 Blackpool 159 138 20 1,138 1,129 1,343 
			 350 Bolton 312 466 328 2,214 2,091 2,381 
			 351 Bury 339 267 339 914 1,042 1,085 
			 875 Cheshire 1,037 1,064 657 3,052 3,241 3,789 
			 909 Cumbria 623 796 805 1,605 1,808 1,811 
			 876 Halton 199 305 233 622 524 591 
			 340 Knowsley 259 155 337 748 1,291 991 
			 888 Lancashire 1,925 1,754 1,225 4,403 5,858 6,441 
			 341 Liverpool 978 755 1,042 2,475 2,559 2,461 
			 352 Manchester 645 528 878 2,978 2,933 2,749 
			 353 Oldham 203 490 248 1,682 1,711 1,778 
			 354 Rochdale 360 292 225 1,359 1,407 1,494 
			 355 Salford 458 484 463 1,168 1,060 1,206 
			 343 Sefton 619 422 448 1,345 1,609 1,827 
			 342 St. Helens 331 357 314 1,042 1,049 1,431 
			 356 Stockport 381 489 248 1,583 1,674 2,065 
			 357 Tameside 331 318 363 1,470 1,600 1,604 
			 358 Trafford 173 310 111 1,619 1,659 1,873 
			 877 Warrington 331 494 329 1,243 1,095 1,333 
			 359 Wigan 617 506 422 1,748 2,045 2,275 
			 344 Wirral 447 441 268 1,740 1,851 2,005 
			 
			   Yorkshire and the Humber 8,130 8,970 6,520 28,090 28,300 30,900 
			 370 Barnsley 518 335 373 665 1,296 1,098 
			 380 Bradford 487 513 346 5,114 4,441 4,969 
			 381 Calderdale 221 330 404 1,259 1,409 1,267 
			 371 Doncaster 640 837 630 1,623 1,523 1,796 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 360 669 545 1,513 1,341 1,421 
			 810 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 333 406 437 1,459 1,325 1,276 
			 382 Kirklees 694 812 566 2,381 2,551 2,893 
			 383 Leeds 1,340 1,149 850 3,970 4,182 4,379 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 156 279 154 705 637 754 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 231 316 67 835 782 1,010 
			 815 North Yorkshire 793 851 585 1,544 1,557 1,998 
			 372 Rotherham 609 650 548 1,431 1,278 1,461 
			 373 Sheffield 771 931 528 3,289 3,373 3,613 
			 384 Wakefield 667 596 330 1,540 1,740 2,060 
			 816 York 311 293 160 766 861 909 
			 
			   East Midlands 7,590 7,460 5,730 19,890 21,340 24,360 
			 831 Derby 433 381 378 1,650 1,802 1,461 
			 830 Derbyshire 1,419 1,361 1,065 3,018 3,673 4,306 
			 856 Leicester 533 621 647 2,028 1,811 2,107 
			 855 Leicestershire 1,246 1,212 578 2,393 2,676 3,157 
			 925 Lincolnshire 955 1,055 553 2,398 2,838 3,342 
			 928 Northamptonshire 1,170 919 947 3,735 3,819 4,129 
			 892 Nottingham 504 498 448 1,414 1,402 1,726 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 1,280 1,394 1,087 3,225 3,182 4,014 
			 857 Rutland 45 21 23 30 141 117 
			 
			   West Midlands 9,540 8,810 7,000 32,060 34,380 36,690 
			 330 Birmingham 1,393 1,326 1,539 9,362 9,611 9,722 
			 331 Coventry 504 306 633 2,003 2,075 2,012 
			 332 Dudley 882 918 561 1,665 1,799 2,251 
			 884 Herefordshire 273 265 88 585 591 798 
			 333 Sandwell 633 559 315 2,494 2,541 2,864 
			 893 Shropshire 224 209 48 731 847 876 
			 334 Solihull 600 393 326 1,307 1,619 1,809 
			 860 Staffordshire 1,584 1,692 1,018 3,540 3,956 4,477 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 361 474 317 1,450 1,303 1,824 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 153 139 161 654 847 912 
			 335 Walsall 472 562 492 2,086 1,770 1,934 
			 937 Warwickshire 722 670 608 2,588 3,032 2,821 
			 336 Wolverhampton 643 592 457 1,310 1,463 1,290 
			 885 Worcestershire 1,092 700 437 2,281 2,925 3,096 
			 
			   East of England 8,710 7,680 7,040 31,260 33,690 34,340 
			 820 Bedfordshire 1,167 860 781 2,036 2,319 2,467 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 663 490 386 2,940 3,316 3,176 
			 881 Essex 2,145 2,023 1,370 7,115 7,826 8,551 
			 919 Hertfordshire 1,176 981 1,214 7,549 8,091 7,378 
			 821 Luton 113 224 391 2,224 1,976 1,783 
			 926 Norfolk 1,399 1,221 1,155 2,791 3,633 3,875 
			 874 Peterborough 197 220 158 1,417 1,464 1,540 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 198 220 88 1,275 1,133 1,275 
			 935 Suffolk 1,362 1,209 1,258 2,772 2,896 3,010 
			 883 Thurrock 289 229 242 1,136 1,032 1,289 
			 
			   London 8,220 8,470 8,090 60,420 58,060 59,340 
			   Inner London 3,610 3,580 3,620 19,710 18,490 18,970 
			 202 Camden 116 47 135 1,120 1,060 1,078 
			 201 City of London 0 0 0 30 0 30 
			 204 Hackney 330 277 381 1,267 1,492 1,325 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 48 43 89 892 1,004 779 
			 309 Haringey 185 513 430 2,353 1,777 2,026 
			 206 Islington 347 184 261 927 1,046 1,098 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 112 96 113 571 447 514 
			 208 Lambeth 299 361 287 1,933 1,590 1,820 
			 209 Lewisham 324 536 287 1,935 1,522 1,860 
			 316 Newham 457 265 322 2,686 2,719 2,926 
			 210 Southwark 653 648 590 1,716 1,682 1,616 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 250 246 240 1,996 1,782 1,745 
			 212 Wandsworth 359 222 400 1,371 1,525 1,384 
			 213 Westminster 130 137 88 914 841 768 
			   Outer London 4,610 4,890 4,460 40,710 39,570 40,370 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 152 157 528 2,155 2,152 1,590 
			 302 Barnet 246 248 197 2,631 2,428 2,601 
			 303 Bexley 248 204 159 1,966 2,069 2,280 
			 304 Brent 136 289 47 2,463 2,128 2,551 
			 305 Bromley 268 362 194 2,550 2,325 2,646 
			 306 Croydon 365 292 319 2,934 3,085 3,244 
			 307 Ealing 270 293 255 2,968 2,598 2,549 
			 308 Enfield 43 207 168 2,923 2,983 2,946 
			 203 Greenwich 420 620 497 1,751 1,594 1,596 
			 310 Harrow 211 455 427 1,898 1,598 1,657 
			 311 Havering 376 201 231 1,596 1,735 1,772 
			 312 Hillingdon 598 513 269 2,019 2,123 2,327 
			 313 Hounslow 320 345 276 1,889 1,801 1,620 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 176 47 110 1,069 1,248 1,191 
			 315 Merton 332 297 292 1,415 1,436 1,371 
			 317 Redbridge 85 0 24 2,752 2,719 2,696 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 135 116 200 1,634 1,424 1,439 
			 319 Sutton 164 175 156 1,431 1,534 1,699 
			 320 Waltham Forest 69 69 114 2,669 2,588 2,594 
			 
			   South East 10,790 10,790 8,440 49,100 51,410 55,030 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 111 142 183 799 817 786 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 285 360 337 1,833 1,781 1,699 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 611 800 749 3,313 3,249 3,507 
			 845 East Sussex 424 421 214 2,491 2,544 3,063 
			 850 Hampshire 1,661 1,601 1,018 7,138 7,773 8,074 
			 921 Isle of Wight 369 138 175 361 509 719 
			 886 Kent 1,543 1,506 1,314 9,198 9,479 9,500 
			 887 Medway 584 622 491 1,707 1,676 1,957 
			 826 Milton Keynes 492 387 241 1,446 1,826 1,966 
			 931 Oxfordshire 1,068 1,119 703 2,650 2,763 2,883 
			 851 Portsmouth 360 348 134 1,044 1,048 1,270 
			 870 Reading 213 135 172 820 1,003 836 
			 871 Slough 177 66 271 1,218 1,250 1,091 
			 852 Southampton 177 491 192 1,500 1,308 1,672 
			 936 Surrey 1,251 1,267 999 7,135 7,334 8,257 
			 869 West Berkshire 173 202 302 806 846 786 
			 938 West Sussex 854 693 694 4,035 4,557 5,176 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 115 114 46 589 580 621 
			 872 Wokingham 317 377 207 1,016 1,062 1,164 
			 
			   South West 5,190 6,440 5,320 23,390 24,000 25,570 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 91 221 179 970 767 969 
			 837 Bournemouth 205 111 141 994 1,040 1,170 
			 801 Bristol, City of 442 585 537 2,391 2,466 2,239 
			 908 Cornwall 422 574 385 1,972 2,016 2,548 
			 878 Devon 737 994 748 2,267 2,719 2,630 
			 835 Dorset 646 626 480 1,823 1,827 2,039 
			 916 Gloucestershire 393 519 680 2,811 2,638 2,662 
			 420 Isles of Scilly 0 0 20 0 0 0 
			 802 North Somerset 115 314 181 1,401 1,148 1,315 
			 879 Plymouth 469 415 224 1,201 1,362 1,367 
			 836 Poole 68 137 0 1,050 965 1,185 
			 933 Somerset 427 362 500 1,674 2,008 2,038 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 248 382 458 1,487 1,505 1,590 
			 866 Swindon 270 426 309 1,173 1,172 1,221 
			 880 Torbay 107 156 64 811 616 890 
			 865 Wiltshire 545 622 412 1,366 1,748 1,710 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Classes as taught during a single selected period on the day of the Census in January.  Note: National and regional totals have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in  (a) primary schools and  (b) secondary schools in each decile of income deprivation affecting children indices were given a fixed-period exclusion in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The requested information on pupils with one or more episodes of fixed period exclusion is provided in the table.
	
		
			  Primary and secondary schools( 1,2,3) : Number of pupils receiving fixed period exclusions by level of deprivation of school( 4 ) , England, 2006/07 
			   Number of pupils receiving fixed period exclusions 
			  Level of deprivation of school based on IDACI( 1 ) (Percentage)  Maintained primary schools  State funded secondary schools 
			 0-10 most deprived 5,000 17,810 
			 10-20 4,060 20,100 
			 20-30 3,430 19,520 
			 30-40 2,800 22,800 
			 40-50 2,080 22,670 
			 50-60 1,920 22,540 
			 60-70 1,480 18,360 
			 70-80 1,160 17,770 
			 80-90 970 18,080 
			 90-100 least deprived 770 17,530 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed.  (2) Includes both CTCs and academies. Information is as reported by schools.  (3) Based on schools open in January 2007.  (4) 2004 Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index at Super Output Area level based on the location of the school. Includes all schools which returned information on fixed period exclusions for 2006/07.   Note:  Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Schools Census

Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were given more than two fixed-period exclusions in each local authority in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The latest available information covers the school year 2006/07; this has been placed in the Library.

Pupil Exclusions

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were permanently excluded from school in the most recent year which figures are available; and what percentage of those children were looked-after children.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In 2006/07, the latest year for which information is available, there were 8,680 permanent exclusions from primary, secondary and all special schools (including CTCs and academies). This figure is given in table 3 of the 'Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2006/07' Statistical First Release:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000793/index.shtml
	In 2006/07, the latest year for which data is available, there were 220 permanent exclusions from schools for looked-after children(1). This figure is given in table A of the 'Outcome Indicators for Children Looked After, 12 months to 30 September 2007England' Statistical First Release:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000785/index.shtml
	Looked-after children who have been permanently excluded as a percentage of total permanent exclusions cannot be calculated because the figure for the total number of permanent exclusions and the figure for the number of permanent exclusions for looked-after children come from different sources and are on different bases.
	(1) If a child has been permanently excluded more than once in the previous school year, each occasion has been counted.

Pupil Referral Units

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what consultation he has undertaken with representatives of the education sector on the proposed renaming of pupil referral units; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many Link schools there are; and how many such schools have the word link in their official titles.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Our proposal to re-name pupil referral units was put forward in the White Paper Back on Track: A strategy for modernising alternative provision for young people, published in May 2008. A full public consultation was held on the contents of the White Paper, including the proposed name change, and we received a number of responses suggesting new names for pupil referral units.
	The ministerial stakeholders' group on behaviour and attendance, which includes representatives from the professional associations unions, school governance organisations and local authority organisations, was also consulted on the Back on Track proposals, as was the national organisation for PRUs, which held a survey on its website to identify popular names.
	Once a shortlist of names was collated, schools in England who already use the potential new names were contacted by officials.
	My officials have identified five schools in England called 'Link' or 'Links'.

Pupils: English Language

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 165W, on pupils: English language, if he will provide the same information for  (a) 2004 and  (b) 1999.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 9 February 2009
	The requested information has been placed in the Library.

Recycling: Education

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding his Department has provided to improve education about recycling in schools in the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Education about recycling in schools comes within the National Framework for Sustainable Schools which was launched in May 2006. The Department's spending on sustainable schools has been to date:
	Financial year 2006-07: 600,000
	Financial year 2007-08: 1,015,000
	And we have forecast to spend in 2008-09:
	Financial year 2008-09: 1,015,000.
	Since 2006, the Department has provided support to schools by producing a Top Tips guide for reducing waste; a guide to Bursars which includes advice on waste minimisation and recycling which could save schools' money; and a Carbon Detectives' Kit (carbon footprint tool) which enables young people to investigate their school's sustainability performance and supports them in finding ways to improve it.
	Investigations into waste and recycling are included in the Carbon Detectives' Kit.

School Meals

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children have school meals in each local authority area.

Beverley Hughes: The Department does not collect this information.
	However, the School Food Trust's (SFT) annual survey on school meals take-up in England provides information on take-up by region.
	
		
			  Table 7: Take up of school meals (percentage) in primary and secondary schools in England, by region, 2007-2008 and 2006-07 based on usual method of calculation 
			   Usual method of calculation  Change of provision 
			   2007-08  2006-07  Percentage of 2006-07  Difference (percentage points) 
			  Primary 
			 North East 53.6 55.3 -3.1 -1.7 
			 North West 46.4 44.9 3.3 1.5 
			 Yorkshire/Humber 43.9 43.2 1.6 0.7 
			 East Midlands 39.9 34.3 16.3 (1)5.6 
			 West Midlands 45.1 45.5 -0.9 -0.4 
			 East of England 39.6 39.3 0.8 0.3 
			 Inner London 57.4 56.9 0.9 0.5 
			 Outer London 40.9 42.9 -4.7 -2 
			 South East 33.8 28.0 20.7 (2)5.8 
			 South West 34.8 35.8 -2.8 -1 
			 All primary 43.0 41.3 4.1 1.7 
			  Secondary 
			 North East 40.1 38.8 3.4 1.3 
			 North West 45.0 41.9 7.4 3.1 
			 Yorkshire/Humber 36.8 37.1 -0.8 -0.3 
			 East Midlands 34.3 34.9 -1.7 -0.6 
			 West Midlands 36.9 36.0 2.5 0.9 
			 East of England 33.8 35.1 -3.7 -1.3 
			 Inner London 41.0 38.5 6.5 2.5 
			 Outer London 39.9 39.3 1.5 0.6 
			 South East 32.0 39.7 -19.4 (3)7.7 
			 South West 31.2 26.8 16.4 (4)4.4 
			 All secondary 37.6 37.7 -0.3 -0.1 
			 (1) The apparent 6 per cent. increase in take up in East Midlands is attributable to a difference in the reported value for take up in one LA from 17 per cent. in 2006-07 to 29 per cent. in 2007-08. In April 2008, the reported value for the same LA for 2006-07 was 44 per cent. suggesting that the original value of 17 per cent. may have been in error. Also, two LAs with take up lower than the national average reported in 2006-07 but not for 2007-08. (2) The apparent 6 per cent. increase in take up in South East is attributable to increases in take up of 5 per cent. and 6 per cent. in two of the largest LAs in South East. Once weighting is applied, these increases make a significant contribution to the regional average. (3) The apparent 8 per cent. decrease in take up in South East is attributable to different LAs reporting in 2008 and 2007, with one LA with higher than average take up reporting in 2007 but not 2008, and one LA with lower than average take up reporting in 2008 but not 2007. Also, an 8 per cent. drop in take up in the second largest LA in South East will have significantly affected the weighted average. (4) The apparent 4 per cent. increase in take up in South West is attributable to more survey responses in 2007-2008 (5 LAs) compared with 2006-2007 (3 LAs).  Note: Base (unweighted): Primary: 97 (2007-2008); 86 (2006-2007), Secondary: 78 (2007-2008); 64 (2006-2007). Analysis: weighted by number of pupils attending schools catered for. 
		
	
	The full survey can be viewed at
	http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/doc_item.asp? DocCatld=1Docld=86
	The SFT has also published partial take-up data at local authority (LA) level, in a technical paper NI 52 - take up of school lunches (December 2008) that discusses the impact of the introduction of the new national indicator for take-up of school meals (NI52). The first official NI52 data collection will be in April 2009. Following this, take-up data at LA level will be available in the summer of 2009.

Schools: Collective Worship

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he has any plans to remove the requirement for a daily act of worship in schools.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: We have no plans to remove the requirement for a daily act of worship in schools.

Schools: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to bring forward additional capital expenditure on schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Local authorities have been invited to bid to bring forward funding allocated at local authority level from 2010-11 to 2009-10. Their views have also been requested on bringing forward projects funded by Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) at school level. The decision on whether to bring forward DFC will be made in the light of these responses.

Schools: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many schools were in the National Challenge as at 25 January 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: There is good progress towards meeting the National Challenge. In 2007 there were 631 schools where fewer than 30 per cent. of pupils achieved five A*-C grades including English and mathematics at GCSE. This figure has reduced to 440 on the basis of final published data which is a reduction of 191 schools. All schools below the threshold will receive bespoke support as appropriate from the National Challenge.

Schools: Standards

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families by what means his Department plans to evaluate school-level indicators of well-being.

Beverley Hughes: Our joint consultation with Ofsted on school-level indicators of well-being has just finished and we are currently considering responses before making final decisions on what the indicators will be. The next steps will be for Ofsted to trial the indicators and for this Department to work with Ofsted to develop an evaluation plan.

Science: Education

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to raise the school science examination standards in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families has responsibility for the curriculum in England only; responsibility for the rest of the United Kingdom was devolved to the Scottish Parliament and the Assemblies for Wales and Northern Ireland.
	The Government's ambition is to create an education and training environment throughout the whole of England that delivers the best in science teaching and learning at every stage. To support this ambition we announced in January 2008 a 140 million strategy over the period 2008-11 to educate the next generation of scientists and mathematicians and help recruit and train more science and mathematics teachers. Much work is already under way to improve standards of science teaching and learning, including:
	Raising attainment through the Secondary National Strategy;
	Streamlining the curriculum to make it more manageable and focus on the key concepts of science, as well as its excitement and relevance;
	Supporting 500 science and engineering clubs for pupils at key stage 3 with an interest and aptitude for science.
	Providing additional incentives to recruit more high quality science graduates into science teaching.
	Improving the quality of teaching by making available good quality continuing professional development through the network of Science Learning Centres, which we fund jointly with the Wellcome Trust.

Science: GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of pupils eligible to receive free school meals attained a GCSE in  (a) physics,  (b) chemistry and  (c) biology in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The table shows the number and percentage of pupils achieving A*-G in physics, chemistry and biology by eligibility of free school meals in 2007.
	
		
			   Attainment of pupils in England by eligibility of free school meals 
			   Number achieving A*-G  Percentage achieving A*-G  Total number of pupils 
			 Physics 1,481 1.9 (1)76,647 
			 Chemistry 1,524 2.0 (1) 
			 Biology 1,803 2.4 (1) 
			 Double science 40,294 52.6 (1) 
			 (1) Indicates brace  Source: National Pupil Database 
		
	
	Data relate to pupils at the end of KS4 in maintained schools only.

Serbo-Croat Language: General Certificate of Secondary Education

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the merits of reintroducing Serbo-Croat as a GCSE option in schools.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: No assessment has been made. Decisions as to which languages are offered are for awarding bodies to take in the light of demand.

Social Workers: Recruitment

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on recruiting children's social workers in 2008.

Beverley Hughes: Social workers are directly recruited by their employers. The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not collect information on how much employers spend on recruiting children's social workers.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils  (a) were eligible for free school meals and had statemented or non-statemented special educational needs,  (b) were eligible for free school meals and were children in care,  (c) had statemented or non-statemented special educational needs and were children in care and  (d) were eligible for free school meals, had statemented or non-statemented special educational needs, and were children in care in each of the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information on children in care is usually sourced from the Looked After Children database but this cannot be used to answer this question. However, data on pupils in care is also collected via the School Census and the latest information is shown in the table.
	This census shows that there were 34,390 pupils aged five to 19 attending primary, secondary and special schools classed as being in care as at January 2008. Data published by the Department as SFR 23/2008: Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2008, shows 47,600 children aged between five and 19 as being looked after as at 31 March 2008. However the School Census does not cover all looked after children; information is not collected for pupils in alternative provision, including pupil referral units, FE colleges, voluntary provision and those not in education or training. These differences in coverage will explain the different counts to an extent, but it is possible that the School Census undercounts the number of looked after children in primary, secondary and special schools.
	
		
			  Maintained primary and secondary schools and all special schools( 1) : number of pupils( 2.)  Position in January each year 2004 to 2008. England 
			   All pupils aged 5 to 19 
			   Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals and have statemented special educational needs  Number of pupils who were eligible  for free school meals and have non-statemented special educational needs  Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals and were children in care  Number of pupils who had statemented special educational needs and were children in care  Number of pupils who had non-statemented special educational needs and were children in care  Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals, had statemented special educational  needs and were children in care  Number of pupils who were eligible for free school meals, had non-statemented special educational needs and were children in care 
			 2004 70,920 322,430 5,530 7,500 10,680 1,210 2,440 
			 2005 66,290 321,920 5,760 7,530 11,340 1,170 2,590 
			 2006 62,180 322,710 5,730 7,890 12,270 1,120 2,520 
			 2007 59,410 326,310 5,590 8,600 13,630 1,120 2,510 
			 2008 56,670 330,900 5,400 8,570 14,120 1,090 2,510 
			 (1 )Includes primary and secondary schools and all special schools (excludes general hospital schools). (2 )Includes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils.  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  School Census

Special Educational Needs

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what support his Department is providing to schools to improve educational provision for children with behavioural needs in 2008-09.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government are implementing a comprehensive national programme to strengthen schools' capacity to manage behaviour. This includes targeted support for schools, high quality training, curriculum materials and consultancy support. We have also strengthened the law to help protect schools from challenges to their authority from pupils or parents, and enable them to foster a safe and orderly learning environment.
	We are encouraging schools to develop a whole-school approach to improving social and emotional wellbeing and continuing to reduce behavioural difficulties, by promoting the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) Programme and by publishing guidance on the management of behaviour.
	In this context, last May we issued revised guidance on the education of children and young people experiencing behavioural, emotional and social difficulties as a special educational need (BESD). We have also commissioned the National Strategies to provide a wide range of support and advisory services, including continuing a professional development scheme, which includes study materials on managing behaviour in schools and addressing BESD.

Special Educational Needs: GCSE

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in which special schools more than 50 per cent. of pupils achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Four special schools are published in the Achievement and Attainment Tables showing more than 50 per cent. of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs in 2008.
	These are:
	Edington and Shapwick School, Somerset;
	Mary Hare Grammar School, West Berkshire;
	More House School, Surrey; and
	Mark College, Somerset.

Special Educational Needs: School Leaving

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment his Department has made of the merits of children with profound and multiple learning difficulties remaining at a specialist school until the age of 18 years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: We believe that all young people should participate in education or training until at least 18. Young people who stay on after 16 are more likely to gain higher levels of qualifications by 18 than those who do not and are less likely to commit crimes, behave antisocially or to suffer ill health. The Education and Skills Act 2008 introduced compulsory participation until 18 for all young people and this will ensure that the entire education system focuses on the needs of the all young people, including those with profound and multiple learning difficulties. It may be that the most suitable and appropriate provision for a particular young person would continue to be a special school, in which case this should be the key factor in determining where that young person receives their education.
	There is a vital and continuing role for special schools as part of an inclusive education system, meeting young people's needs directly and working in much closer partnership with mainstream schools to build expertise throughout the system. The present Special Educational Needs statutory framework provides for children and young people with statements to be taught in mainstream schools where this is what their parents want and is compatible with the efficient education of other children. It also provides for parents to seek a special school place and to have this preference considered. If a young person with SEN remains at school after reaching age 16, the school and the local authority continue the SEN arrangements already in place, subject to further regular reviews. If a young person with SEN continues their education at a further education college the Learning and Skills Council has a duty to take regard of the young person's learning difficulties and disabilities.
	The Children, Skills and Learning Bill creates the conditions for local authorities to assume responsibility for funding for learners with profound and multiple disabilities in 2010 and we believe this is the best way to develop a continuous system of support and provision from age 0-25.

Special Educational Needs: Teachers

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of teachers have received teacher training in special educational needs beyond their initial teacher training in each local authority in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Special Guardianship Orders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many special guardianship orders have been made in each local authority area in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many special guardianship arrangements have broken down in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: Information on the number of looked after children who ceased to be looked after as a result of a special guardianship order, in each local authority in each of the last three years ending 31 March 2006 to 2008,can be found in the following table.
	Information on the number of special guardianship orders that have been made is only available for the last three years as they were first introduced on 30 December 2005. The figures for year ending 31 March 2006 only account for the last three months of the data collection year.
	Information on the number of special guardianship arrangements that have broken down is not collected centrally by the Department.
	
		
			  Children who ceased to be looked after during the year ending 31 March by local authority, as a result of a special guardianship order being granted( 1,2,3,4,5, ) years ending 31 March 2006 to 2008Coverage: England 
			  Number 
			   2006  2007  2008 
			  England 70 750 1,100 
			 
			  North East 10 50 70 
			 Darlington 0   
			 Durham  5 15 
			 Gateshead 0 0 0 
			 Hartlepool 0 0 10 
			 Middlesbrough 0  0 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 0 5  
			 North Tyneside 0   
			 Northumberland 0 5 15 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 0  0 
			 South Tyneside  5  
			 Stockton-On-Tees 0 5 5 
			 Sunderland 0 5 10 
			 
			  North West 10 130 220 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 0   
			 Blackpool 0  5 
			 Bolton   15 
			 Bury  5 10 
			 Cheshire 0 10 5 
			 Cumbria  10 10 
			 Halton 0 0 5 
			 Knowsley 0  10 
			 Lancashire  10 25 
			 Liverpool 0 15 25 
			 Manchester 0 10 25 
			 Oldham 0  10 
			 Rochdale
			 Salford 0   
			 Sefton  10  
			 St Helens 0  10 
			 Stockport 0 0 5 
			 Tameside 0   
			 Trafford 0 0  
			 Warrington 0   
			 Wigan 0 10 10 
			 Wirral 0 15 25 
			 
			  Yorkshire and The Humber 10 50 80 
			 Barnsley 0 0 10 
			 Bradford 0   
			 Calderdale  5  
			 Doncaster 0 10 10 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 0 0  
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 0  0 
			 Kirklees
			 Leeds  25 35 
			 North East Lincolnshire  0 0 
			 North Lincolnshire 0   
			 North Yorkshire 0   
			 Rotherham 0 0  
			 Sheffield 0 0 5 
			 Wakefield  0  
			 York
			 
			  East Midlands  30 60 
			 Derby 0  10 
			 Derbyshire 0  5 
			 Leicester 0   
			 Leicestershire 0 10 10 
			 Lincolnshire 0   
			 Northamptonshire 0 10 10 
			 Nottingham 0  15 
			 Nottinghamshire 0   
			 Rutland 0 0  
			 
			  West Midlands  80 80 
			 Birmingham  10 25 
			 Coventry 0 10  
			 Dudley 0 0  
			 Herefordshire 0  5 
			 Sandwell 0 20  
			 Shropshire 0 0 0 
			 Solihull 0   
			 Staffordshire 0 20 20 
			 Stoke-on-Trent  10  
			 Telford and Wrekin 0 0  
			 Walsall 0 0  
			 Warwickshire   10 
			 Wolverhampton 0 0  
			 Worcestershire 0 0  
			 
			  East of England  50 90 
			 Bedfordshire 0 5 15 
			 Cambridgeshire 0  10 
			 Essex 0 10 20 
			 Hertfordshire 0 15 10 
			 Luton 0  5 
			 Norfolk 0 0  
			 Peterborough 0 5 10 
			 Southend-on-Sea 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk  10 10 
			 Thurrock 0 0 5 
			 
			  London 30 170 270 
			  Inner London 10 100 180 
			 Camden 5 10 20 
			 City of London 0 0 0 
			 Hackney 0 10 25 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham  10 25 
			 Haringey 0 5 20 
			 Islington 0 10 5 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0 0 5 
			 Lambeth   10 
			 Lewisham 0 10 10 
			 Newham 0 10 10 
			 Southwark  10 10 
			 Tower Hamlets 0 15 15 
			 Wandsworth 0 5 10 
			 Westminster 0  15 
			 
			  Outer London 10 70 90 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0  15 
			 Barnet
			 Bexley 0   
			 Brent   10 
			 Bromley 0   
			 Croydon 0 5  
			 Ealing 0  10 
			 Enfield 0  0 
			 Greenwich  10 10 
			 Harrow 0 0  
			 Havering 0   
			 Hillingdon 0   
			 Hounslow  10 10 
			 Kingston upon Thames 0   
			 Merton
			 Redbridge 0  0 
			 Richmond upon Thames 0 0 0 
			 Sutton 0  10 
			 Waltham Forest 0  10 
			 
			  South East 10 130 180 
			 Bracknell Forest 0  0 
			 Brighton and Hove  5 10 
			 Buckinghamshire   10 
			 East Sussex 0  10 
			 Hampshire  20 30 
			 Isle Of Wight 0   
			 Kent 0 25 30 
			 Medway Towns 0 5 15 
			 Milton Keynes  10  
			 Oxfordshire 0 5 15 
			 Portsmouth 0  0 
			 Reading 0 10 15 
			 Slough 0 5  
			 Southampton 0  0 
			 Surrey  5 35 
			 West Berkshire 0  0 
			 West Sussex  10 10 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 0  0 
			 Wokingham 0  0 
			 
			  South West  60 60 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 0 5  
			 Bournemouth
			 Bristol, City of 0 10 10 
			 Cornwall 0 10 10 
			 Devon  10 10 
			 Dorset 0  0 
			 Gloucestershire 0 5 5 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 
			 North Somerset 0   
			 Plymouth 0 10  
			 Poole 0 0  
			 Somerset 0   
			 South Gloucestershire 0 0  
			 Swindon 0   
			 Torbay 0 0 0 
			 Wiltshire 0   
			 (1) Source: SSDA903 return on children looked after. (2) Only the last occasion on which a child ceased to be looked after in the year has been counted. (3) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (4) Special Guardianship orders were introduced on 30 December 2005. Consequently figures for year ending 31 March 2006 only account for the last three months of the data collection year. (5) To ensure that no individual can be identified from statistical tables, we use conventions for the rounding and suppression of very small numbers. National figures have been rounded t o the nearest100 if they exceed 1,000 or to the nearest 10 otherwise. Numbers at local authority level have been rounded to the nearest five and numbers at region level have been rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers of five or less have been suppressed and replaced with a hyphen () except where the number is zero.

Steer Review

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he expects the next report arising from the Steer Review to be published.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I am expecting Sir Alan to issue his latest report within the next three weeks.
	My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has asked Sir Alan to use this report to advise him on how to make school partnerships for improving behaviour and tackling persistent absence more effective; what more might be done to encourage early intervention and more consistent good practice in provision for pupils with special educational needs; and the links between pupil behaviour and school policies on learning and teaching.

Teaching Methods

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what strategies his Department has introduced to encourage personalised teaching and learning; and what mechanisms he has established by which the effectiveness of these strategies will be assessed.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: 1.6 billion is being made available across 2008-11 for personalised learning and special educational needs (SEN). This money is not ring-fenced and schools are free to spend it in a way which best supports their individual needs. In October 2008 we launched Personalised LearningA Practical Guide to provide support and guidance to schools in prioritising their spending.
	Core strategies underpinning personalised teaching and learning include:
	The Assessment for Learning Strategy to help schools improve and plan their Assessment for Learning (AfL) provision, underpinned by 150 million being made available to schools across 2008-11. Progress against strategy objectives and their impact is being monitored and driven forward in partnership with key agencies including the National Strategies (NS) and the QCA.
	From September 2010, access to a named personal tutor for every secondary school pupil and their parents. The personal tutor will know them in the round and will normally be the first point of contact for parents to discuss a range of academic and pastoral issues with the school.
	One-to-one tuition in reading, writing and mathematics, being introduced nationally from 2009 in Key Stages 2 and 3 and, in National Challenge schools, at Key Stage 4. One-to-one tuition is being rigorously evaluated as part of the Making Good Progress Pilot.
	Focused support in reading, writing and mathematics through the Every Child a Reader (ECaR), Every Child a Writer (ECaW), and Every Child Counts (ECC) suite of programmes.
	Public Service Agreements and national targets for 2011 have a dual focus on ensuring that pupils reach the levels expected for their age in both English and mathematics (threshold targets) and improving the rates of progress made by pupils from ages 5-16 (new progression targets), with increased attention to achieving faster progress for underachieving groups.

HEALTH

Abortion

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many terminations of pregnancies where severe disability was suspected were carried out in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 5 February 2009
	There were 1,939 abortions performed under section l(l)(d) of the Abortion Act in England and Wales in 2007, the last year for which figures are available. The full table showing the breakdown by principal medical condition for abortions performed under section 1(1)(d) is available in the Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2007, copies of which have been placed in the Library.

Ambulance Services: Crimes of Violence

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many recorded attacks on ambulance crews there were in each NHS ambulance trust area in each of the last three years.

Ann Keen: Since 2004-05, the number of physical assaults against staff reported by NHS bodies in England has been collected annually by the National Health Service Security Management Service. The number of physical assaults reported against staff in ambulance trusts in the period 2005-06 to 2007-08 are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Total reported assaults against ambulance staff by trust 2005-06 to 2007-08 
			  2005-06 
			   Number 
			 Avon Ambulance Service NHS Trust 32 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance and Paramedic Service NHS Trust 23 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire Ambulance NHS Trust 31 
			 Cumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust 5 
			 Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust 20 
			 East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust 36 
			 East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 53 
			 Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust 6 
			 Gloucestershire Ambulance Services NHS Trust 4 
			 Greater Manchester Ambulance Service NHS Trust 112 
			 Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 28 
			 Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust 15 
			 Kent Ambulance NHS Trust 16 
			 Lancashire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 9 
			 Lincolnshire Ambulance and Health Transport Service NHS Trust 17 
			 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust 325 
			 Mersey Regional Ambulance Service NHS Trust 47 
			 North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust 46 
			 Oxfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust 4 
			 Royal Berkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 10 
			 South Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 14 
			 Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 15 
			 Surrey Ambulance Service NHS Trust 30 
			 Sussex Ambulance Service NHS Trust 21 
			 Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 41 
			 Two Shires Ambulance NHS Trust 9 
			 West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 46 
			 West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service NHS Trust 29 
			 Westcountry Ambulance Services NHS Trust 44 
			 Wiltshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 16 
			 Total ambulance sector assaults reported in 2005-06 1,104 
		
	
	
		
			  2006-07 
			   Number 
			 East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 74 
			 East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust 77 
			 Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust 34 
			 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust 297 
			 North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust 39 
			 North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust 166 
			 South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust 38 
			 South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust 81 
			 South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust 47 
			 Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 11 
			 West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 99 
			 Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 43 
			 Total ambulance sector assaults reported in 2006-07 1,006 
		
	
	
		
			  2007-08 
			   Number 
			 East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 59 
			 East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust 84 
			 Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust 23 
			 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust 673 
			 North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust 43 
			 North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust 234 
			 South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust 50 
			 South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust 69 
			 South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust 38 
			 West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust 147 
			 Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 45 
			 Total ambulance sector assaults reported in 2007-08 1,465 
			  Note: On 1 July 2006, the 30 NHS ambulance trusts in England merged to create 12 reconfigured trusts. On 1 October 2007, Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust merged with the West Midlands Ambulance Service Trust. The total number of reported assaults before and after mergers are shown against the reconfigured trusts as they were at the end of the reporting years.

Anorexia: Internet

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the Pro Ana web sites relating to anorexia; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not discussed this issue with ministerial colleagues. Responsibility for the regulation of the internet rests with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	The Department is concerned about the risks posed by websites which encourage anorexia or bulimia, but cannot take any legal action against them. Such sites are not in themselves illegal and may also be hosted overseas.
	We continue to explore a variety of courses of action. For example, we have worked with a media agency which offered their expertise pro bono to run advertisements directing youngsters to more appropriate sites.

Blood: Donors

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to allow gay men to donate blood.

Dawn Primarolo: Current policy excludes men who have ever had sex with men, whatever their sexual orientation, from blood donation.
	The United Kingdom adopts a highly precautionary approach to blood safety. The guiding principle is that if the best available evidence shows that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a course of action will improve the safety of the blood, this action should be taken. The Department is committed to regularly reviewing this evidence, and has asked its expert advisory committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs to do this in 2009.

Care Homes: Elderly

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many visits the Minister for Care Services has made to  (a) care homes,  (b) day centres and  (c) other services for older people.

Phil Hope: I have undertaken visits to the following care homes for older people, day care centres for older people and other services for older people:
	
		
			  Visits for 2008 
			  Date  Visit  Organisation  Location  Purpose 
			 13 October 2008 Dignity tourNorth East England Service for older people Dementia Care Partnership, Bradbury Centre Tour of centre and meet staff and residents. 
			 3 November 2008 Dignity tourEast of England Services for older people The Julian Hospital, Norwich, Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Trust Tour of wards for older people, meet with staff and patients. 
			 10 November 2008 Dignity tourSouth East Coast Care Home for older people Red Oaks Care Home, Barchester Healthcare Tour of home and meet staff and residents. 
			 18 December 2008 Dignity visit, East Midlands Services for older people Cynthia Spencer Hospice, Manfield Health Campus, Northampton Northamptonshire Tour of hospice and meet staff and patients.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the resources needed to implement the forthcoming National Service Framework for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and whether there will be ring-fenced funding from his Department for this purpose.

Ann Keen: The Department is currently developing a detailed Impact Assessment for the National Strategy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and any financial implications of implementing the programme will be published alongside the strategy.

Complementary Medicine

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of  (a) the side-effects of (i) Vioxx, (ii) SSRI antidepressants and (iii) Salmeterol and  (b) the use of complementary and alternative medicines to treat the conditions such drugs were developed to address.

Dawn Primarolo: The safety and efficacy of medicinal products is formally assessed from clinical trials submitted at the time of marketing authorisation. These data are carefully evaluated by the independent scientific advisory committee, the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM), and the Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) prior to authorisation for evidence that the products work and are acceptably safe. The longer term safety of the use of medicines in routine clinical practice is closely monitored by the MHRA, including reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) submitted by health professionals and patients through the Yellow Card scheme, to ensure that benefit risk balance continues to be favourable.
	The safety of Vioxx (rofecoxib), the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs) and salmeterol has been under continuous review by the MHRA since these medicinal products were first authorised. Any new data or possible safety issue to emerge have been carefully evaluated and, as necessary, appropriate action taken to update the product information for prescribers and patients to reflect the emerging safety profile and where necessary revised prescribing advice has been issued.
	Vioxx (rofecoxib) was a selective COX-2 inhibitor, a type of non-selective anti-inflammatory drug, licensed for the treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and acute pain conditions. In 2000, comparative clinical trial data raised concerns over the risk of heart attacks and other thrombotic cardiovascular events in association with use of rofecoxib. The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM, the predecessor to the CHM) reviewed the safety of rofecoxib on several occasions between 2000 and 2003. This led to updates to product information and prescribing advice on the risk of thrombotic cardiovascular events. In 2004, the manufacturers of rofecoxib withdrew the product after clinical trial data comparing rofecoxib with placebo (a dummy pill) provided the first definitive evidence of an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, evident after 18 months of treatment. The safety of other selective COX-2 inhibitors and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was fully reviewed between 2004 and 2006 and the conclusion was that the benefits of the authorised NSAIDs continue to outweigh the risks in the licensed indications.
	SSRI antidepressants are used to treat depression and anxiety disorders. Ongoing concerns about the safety of the SSRIs in early 2003 prompted a review by an Expert Working Group of the CSM of the risk of suicidal behaviour and withdrawal reactions associated with the SSRIs. The Expert Working Group conducted a comprehensive review of the safety of this entire class of drugs, examining all available evidence and reviewing all the regulatory advice issued. The MHRA published key findings and updated advice to healthcare professionals and patients as the review progressed.
	Salmeterol is a long-acting adrenoceptor beta agonist (LABA) used in the management of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The CSM and CHM have reviewed the safety of salmeterol on a number of occasions, leading to updates to product information and communications to remind healthcare professionals of the appropriate use of LABA in the treatment of asthma. The balance of risks and benefits of LABA was recently reviewed at the request of CHM, and was considered positive in the treatment of asthma in adults and adolescents, provided LABA are used with inhaled corticosteroids. The outcome of the review was published in the MHRA bulletin Drug Safety Update, which is available on the MHRA website.
	There are currently no complementary or alternative medicines with marketing authorisations for the treatment of major conditions such as osteoarthritis, depression or asthma therefore the MHRA does not hold any information on the usage of complementary and alternative medicines for these conditions.
	Some years ago the MHRA considered a number of applications for marketing authorisations for products containing St. John's Wort ( Hypericum perforatum L.) for mild to moderate depression. However, the applications were refused due to lack of adequate evidence of safety and efficacy.

Dementia: Devon

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with  (a) Alzheimer's disease and  (b) dementia in (i) East Devon constituency and (ii) Devon in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: The national Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) records the number of people recorded on practice disease registers with a diagnosis of dementia but this does not distinguish between Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The publication 'Revisions to the GMS Contract 2006/07', from NHS Employers, states that Alzheimer's disease accounts for 50-75 per cent. of cases of dementia. This register count is available for the two latest releases of QOF, covering 2006-07 and 2007-08.
	We are unable to supply this information for parliamentary constituencies, as the data are only available for general practices (GPs) and can be aggregated to primary care trust (PCT) level. We have supplied figures for the smallest health area that covers Devon, namely Devon PCT.
	These QOF figures are given in the following table. They are the totals for patients with dementia.
	
		
			  QOF datanumber of patients on the Dementia disease registers 
			  Financial year  2007-08  2006-07 
			 Devon PCT 3,527 3,388 
			  Source: The data supplied in the table above are published on the website of the Information Centre for health and social care. (a) For 2007-08 see the Quality and Outcomes Framework 2007/08 publication data tables at the following link (published 30 September 2008): www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/supporting-information/audits-and-performance/the-quality-and-outcomes-framework/qof-2007/08/data-tables The table for PCT level QOF for 2007-08 can be found at the following link: www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/QOF/2007-08/NewFilesGS/QOF0708_PCTs_Prevalence.xls This publication has already been placed in the Library. (b) For 2006-07 see Quality and Outcomes Framework 2006/07 publication data tables at this link (published 28 September 2007): www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/supporting-information/audits-and-performance/the-quality-and-outcomes-framework/qof-2006/07/qof-2006-07-data-tables The table for PCT level QOF for 2006-07 can be found at this link: www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/QOF/2006-07/QOF0607_PCTs_Prevalence.xls This publication has already been placed in the Library.  Notes: 1. QOF is the national Quality and Outcomes Framework, introduced as part of the new General Medical Services contract on 1 April 2004. 2. Participation by practices in the QOF is voluntary, though participation rates are very high, with most Personal Medical Services practices also taking part. 3. The published QOF information was derived from the Quality Management Analysis System (QMAS), a national system developed by NHS Connecting for Health. 4. QMAS uses data from general practices to calculate individual practices' QOF achievement. QMAS is a national information technology system developed by NHS Connecting for Health to support the QOF. 5. The system calculates practice achievement against national targets. It gives general practices, PCTs and strategic health authorities objective evidence and feedback on the quality of care delivered to patients. 6. QMAS captures the number of patients on the various disease registers for each practice. The number of patients on the clinical registers can be used to calculate measures of disease prevalence, expressing the number of patients on each register as a percentage of the number of patients on practices' lists. 7. Figures presented here are just the number of patients on the disease register for dementia.

Dementia: Devon

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds for people diagnosed with dementia there were in Devon in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: This information is not held centrally.
	Dementia is one of the most important issues we face as the population ages. Around 570,000 people already have the condition in England and this number is set to double in the next 30 years, with the costs of dementia tripling.
	That is why the Department published the first National Dementia Strategy on 3 February 2009. It sets out how we can transform services, through a combination of better training, earlier intervention and real support for people with dementia and their families.

Dental Services

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many courses of treatment dentists carried out in  (a) the North Yorkshire and York primary care trust area and  (b) England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. However, information is available on the numbers of courses of treatment (CoTs) in England in the years ending 31 March, 1997 to 2006 in Table 3 of the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006 report.
	This information is based on the old contractual arrangements which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report has already been placed in the Library and is available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	The number of CoTs performed in England in 2006-07 and 2007-08 are available in Table A4 of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2007/08 report. Information is provided by primary care trust and strategic health authority. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. This report, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0708

Dental Services

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many practising dentists there were in  (a) the North Yorkshire and York primary care trust area and  (b) England on 1 April in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The numbers of national health service dentists, as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006 are available in annex E of the NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006. Information is available by strategic health authority (SHA) and by primary care trust (PCT).
	This measure counted the number of NHS dentists recorded on PCT lists as at 31 March each year. This information is based on the old contractual arrangements, which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	The numbers of dentists with NHS activity during the years ending 31 March, 2007 and 2008 are available in table G1 of annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2007/08 report. Information is provided by SHA and by PCT. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. This report has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0708
	This measure is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes previously published work force figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. This revised methodology counted the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March.
	Both sets of published figures relate to headcounts and do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.

Dental Services: Fees and Charges

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will conduct an investigation of the effects of the banding of charges for dentistry on the NHS.

Ann Keen: Professor Jimmy Steele of Newcastle university is currently chairing an independent review of national health service dentistry in England. The review will consider how the Department can respond to the conclusions and recommendations the Health Select Committee (HSC) recently made, following their inquiry into dental services. The system of banded patient charges is one of the issues the HSC raised and that Professor Steele and his team will consider, taking views from a wide range of stakeholders. Professor Steele will publish his findings later in the spring, and the Department will then respond to his recommendations.

Dental Services: Prescriptions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many prescription items were dispensed by dentists in  (a) the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust area and  (b) England in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the net ingredient cost of prescriptions dispensed by dentists in  (a) the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust area and  (b) England was in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information on prescribing by dentists is available from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system. It is available only for England as a whole. It is available by calendar year from 2003.
	The number and net ingredient cost of prescriptions dispensed by dentists in each year is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Calendar year  Number of items (thousand)  Net ingredient cost (000) 
			 2007 4,569 10,657 
			 2006 4,481 10,078 
			 2005 4,651 9,186 
			 2004 4,706 9,154 
			 2003 4,768 9,231 
			  Notes: Definitions PCA Data Prescription information is taken from the PCA system, supplied by the Prescription Services Division of the NHS Business Services Authority, and is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community ie by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. Also included are prescriptions written in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts, or private prescriptions. The vast majority of these prescriptions are written by general medical practitioners in England; however, prescriptions written by nurses, dentists, other non-medical prescribers and hospital doctors are also included provided they were dispensed in the community. The figures are taken from separate tables relating to prescribing by dentists only.  Source: PCA

Dentistry

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health  (a) how many students were given NHS dental bursaries and  (b) how much was paid out in NHS dental bursaries (i) in each of the last five years and (ii) in each primary care trust area in 2007-08.

Ann Keen: The number of dental students who have been awarded an NHS bursary in each of the past five academic years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Academic year  Number of dental students awarded an NHS bursary( 1) 
			 2003-04 535 
			 2004-05 572 
			 2005-06 528 
			 2006-07 589 
			 2007-08 771 
			   
			 Total 2,995 
			 (1) Includes students who received a nil award following means testing, English domiciled students studying in other parts of the UK, and EU fees only students.  Source: NHS BSA Student Bursaries Scheme database 
		
	
	The amount paid by the NHS Bursary Scheme to dental students for maintenance support and other allowances in each of the past five academic years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Academic year  Amount paid for maintenance support and other allowances( 1 ) () 
			 2003-04 900,697 
			 2004-05 886,568 
			 2005-06 843,334 
			 2006-07 1,053,332 
			 2007-08 1,274,226 
			 Total 4,958,156 
			 (1) Excludes students who received a nil award following means testing and EU fees only students  Source: NHS BSA Student Bursaries Scheme database 
		
	
	The NHS Business Services Authority cannot break down this information by primary care trust area.

Departmental Impact Assessments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments.

Phil Hope: Equality impact assessment is an integral part of how the Department develops its internal and external policies and carries out its functions. The Department undertook over 350 screening and full assessments from 1 February 2008 to 31 January 2009. The cost of undertaking the assessments is not available as it is not separately identified in the policy development process.

Departmental Manpower

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were directly employed by his Department in each of the last 10 years; and how many self-employed workers were engaged by the Department in each such year.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table presents the number of staff directly employed by the Department. Figures for 1999 to 2007 are taken from the annual departmental reports. Information about staff employed in 2008 will be published in the 2009 departmental report later in the year.
	
		
			   Core Department of Health (full-time equivalents) 
			 2007 2,178 
			 2006 2,250 
			 2005 2,245 
			 2004 2,050 
			 2003 2,964 
			 2002 3,390 
			 2001 3,809 
			 2000 3,632 
			 1999 3,753 
		
	
	The information on the number of self-employed workers is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Appointments

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the public appointments for which his Department is responsible are due to be  (a) renewed and  (b) filled in the next 24 months; what the (i) remit, (ii) salary, (iii) political restriction, (iv) eligibility requirement and (v) timetable for each appointment is; and what records his Department keeps in respect of such appointments.

Ann Keen: The Appointments Commission recruit and appoint public appointees on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health. Appointments are made on merit and are regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The appointments do not carry with them a salary as they are not employees, but appointees are usually remunerated for their work either annually, per meeting or through receiving expenses. Levels of remuneration vary according to the type of body.
	We have asked the Appointments Commission to write to the right hon. Member with further more detailed information.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of people who received drug treatment had to wait  (a) less than three weeks and  (b) more than three weeks in each of the last three years, broken down by the smallest geographical area for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse collects data on local services via the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System.
	The information requested is only available for 2006-07 and 2007-08 and is shown in the table, broken down by Drug Action Team (DAT).
	Numbers under five have been suppressed in accordance with procedures to preserve the confidentiality of information which could potentially identify individual patients.
	
		
			 2006-07  2007-08 
			 Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			  DAT No.  DAT code  DAT name  Waits = 3 weeks  Waits  3 weeks  Waits = 3 weeks  Waits  3 weeks  Waits = 3 weeks  Waits  3 weeks  Waits = 3 weeks  Waits  3 weeks 
			 1 H01B Barking and Dagenham 341 5 99 1 391 *   
			 2 H12B Barnet 304 43 88 12 276 40 87 13 
			 3 D09B Barnsley 469 56 89 11 523 28 95 5 
			 4 K01B Bath and North East Somerset 195 75 72 28 222 76 74 26 
			 5 G01B Bedfordshire 274 28 91 9 382 38 91 9 
			 6 H13B Bexley 170 14 92 8 219 37 86 14 
			 7 F05B Birmingham 2,439 240 91 9 2,499 178 93 7 
			 8 B03B Blackburn with Darwen 313 67 82 18 396 23 95 5 
			 9 B04B Blackpool 529 84 86 14 664 31 96 4 
			 10 B14B Bolton 536 65 89 11 739 52 93 7 
			 11 K06B Bournemouth 433 79 85 15 514 64 89 11 
			 12 J01B Bracknell Forest 156 0 100 0 124 7 95 5 
			 13 D13B Bradford 1,229 5 100 0 1,217 19 98 2 
			 14 H14B Brent 376 89 81 19 574 40 93 7 
			 15 J10B Brighton and Hove 388 86 82 18 540 176 75 25 
			 16 K02B Bristol 1,152 163 88 12 874 193 82 18 
			 17 H15B Bromley 251 33 88 12 284 22 93 7 
			 18 J07B Buckinghamshire 418 119 78 22 472 62 88 12 
			 19 B15B Bury 419 14 97 3 401 17 96 4 
			 20 D03B Calderdale 309 *   360 *   
			 21 G03B Cambridgeshire 401 97 81 19 389 89 81 19 
			 22 H03B Camden 747 42 95 5 838 29 97 3 
			 23 B20B Cheshire 758 34 96 4 844 30 97 3 
			 24 H05B City of London 17 *   13 *   
			 25 K13B Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 410 213 66 34 486 148 77 23 
			 26 A02B County Durham 705 48 94 6 722 25 97 3 
			 27 F06B Coventry 600 21 97 3 681 9 99 1 
			 28 H16B Croydon 464 55 89 11 493 25 95 5 
			 29 B16B Cumbria 413 134 76 24 630 42 94 6 
			 30 A01B Darlington 298 5 98 2 298 7 98 2 
			 31 E05B Derby 508 73 87 13 489 14 97 3 
			 32 E04B Derbyshire 733 113 87 13 573 174 77 23 
			 33 K08B Devon 611 111 85 15 688 93 88 12 
			 34 D14B Doncaster 626 56 92 8 607 20 97 3 
			 35 K05B Dorset 328 140 70 30 459 24 95 5 
			 36 F07B Dudley 408 143 74 26 567 94 86 14 
			 37 H17B Ealing 671 60 92 8 718 14 98 2 
			 38 D02B East Riding of Yorkshire 220 22 91 9 284 12 96 4 
			 39 J11B East Sussex 408 179 70 30 574 124 82 18 
			 40 H18B Enfield 381 24 94 6 347 43 89 11 
			 41 G05B Essex 862 157 85 15 1,627 155 91 9 
			 42 A09B Gateshead 502 30 94 6 617 9 99 1 
			 43 K14B Gloucestershire 745 85 90 10 637 76 89 11 
			 44 H19B Greenwich 541 36 94 6 686 34 95 5 
			 45 H06B Hackney 891 30 97 3 857 38 96 4 
			 46 B08B Halton 350 20 95 5 262 41 86 14 
			 47 H20B Hammersmith and Fulham 466 39 92 8 499 24 95 5 
			 48 J15B Hampshire 672 92 88 12 771 86 90 10 
			 49 H21B Haringey 599 102 85 15 676 17 98 2 
			 50 H31B Harrow 190 56 77 23 254 23 92 8 
			 51 A03B Hartlepool 187 9 95 5 303 5 98 2 
			 52 H02B Havering 259 9 97 3 278 15 95 5 
			 53 F08B Herefordshire 153 31 83 17 181 22 89 11 
			 54 G08B Hertfordshire 539 92 85 15 955 135 88 12 
			 55 H32B Hillingdon 273 67 80 20 373 56 87 13 
			 56 H33B Hounslow 300 58 84 16 527 27 95 5 
			 57 J18B Isle of Wight 170 5 97 3 189 *   
			 58 H04B Islington 616 100 86 14 748 24 97 3 
			 59 H22B Kensington and Chelsea 399 46 90 10 594 20 97 3 
			 60 J13B Kent 1,023 169 86 14 1,991 224 90 10 
			 61 D01B Kingston upon Hull 694 47 94 6 617 29 96 4 
			 62 H23B Kingston upon Thames 247 16 94 6 298 17 95 5 
			 63 D04B Kirklees 584 12 98 2 709 16 98 2 
			 64 B11B Knowsley 591 19 97 3 577 19 97 3 
			 65 H07B Lambeth 949 85 92 8 911 40 96 4 
			 66 B05B Lancashire 1,165 222 84 16 2,136 175 92 8 
			 67 D12B Leeds 1,143 273 81 19 1,377 33 98 2 
			 68 E02B Leicester 749 110 87 13 644 107 86 14 
			 69 E01B Leicestershire 550 124 82 18 518 90 85 15 
			 70 H08B Lewisham 573 63 90 10 735 70 91 9 
			 71 E08B Lincolnshire 1,114 102 92 8 673 86 89 11 
			 72 B17B Liverpool 1,502 146 91 9 1,742 105 94 6 
			 73 G02B Luton 248 27 90 10 372 27 93 7 
			 74 B18B Manchester 924 78 92 8 988 43 96 4 
			 75 J14B Medway Towns 228 62 79 21 418 74 85 15 
			 76 H24B Merton 409 18 96 4 402 20 95 5 
			 77 A05B Middlesbrough 381 14 96 4 534 24 96 4 
			 78 J08B Milton Keynes 148 38 80 20 183 40 82 18 
			 79 A07B Newcastle upon Tyne 516 26 95 5 553 61 90 10 
			 80 H25B Newham 521 77 87 13 556 82 87 13 
			 81 G09B Norfolk 621 136 82 18 835 226 79 21 
			 82 D08B North East Lincolnshire 264 14 95 5 312 11 97 3 
			 83 D07B North Lincolnshire 197 7 97 3 248 *   
			 84 K04B North Somerset 271 136 67 33 392 72 84 16 
			 85 A08B North Tyneside 251 24 91 9 308 36 90 10 
			 86 D05B North Yorkshire 593 38 94 6 518 51 91 9 
			 87 E09B Northamptonshire 479 241 67 33 691 216 76 24 
			 88 A10B Northumberland 265 32 89 11 341 30 92 8 
			 89 E07B Nottingham 905 125 88 12 1,033 88 92 8 
			 90 E06B Nottinghamshire 1,051 98 91 9 1,213 68 95 5 
			 91 B13B Oldham 399 20 95 5 483 23 95 5 
			 92 J09B Oxfordshire 627 155 80 20 599 103 85 15 
			 93 G04B Peterborough 269 72 79 21 320 51 86 14 
			 94 K09B Plymouth 233 37 86 14 596 25 96 4 
			 95 K07B Poole 163 30 84 16 140 56 71 29 
			 96 J16B Portsmouth 256 29 90 10 304 29 91 9 
			 97 J02B Reading 278 37 88 12 307 19 94 6 
			 98 H10B Redbridge 268 56 83 17 389 50 89 11 
			 99 A04B Redcar and Cleveland 207 9 96 4 353 9 98 2 
			 100 H26B Richmond upon Thames 278 34 89 11 290 26 92 8 
			 101 B09B Rochdale 639 25 96 4 672 15 98 2 
			 102 D15B Rotherham 569 19 97 3 413 10 98 2 
			 103 E03B Rutland 10 *   6 *   
			 104 B01B Salford 491 41 92 8 432 46 90 10 
			 105 F09B Sandwell 455 105 81 19 473 64 88 12 
			 106 B19B Sefton 624 15 98 2 783 29 96 4 
			 107 D11B Sheffield 1,040 48 96 4 784 19 98 2 
			 108 F01B Shropshire 283 9 97 3 308 7 98 2 
			 109 J03B Slough 357 19 95 5 309 26 92 8 
			 110 F10B Solihull 245 17 94 6 241 16 94 6 
			 111 K15B Somerset 359 49 88 12 337 60 85 15 
			 112 K03B South Gloucestershire 217 41 84 16 241 38 86 14 
			 113 A11B South Tyneside 402 35 92 8 372 19 95 5 
			 114 J17B Southampton 379 26 94 6 464 48 91 9 
			 115 G06B Southend-on-Sea 262 28 90 10 261 62 81 19 
			 116 H09B Southwark 742 102 88 12 826 71 92 8 
			 117 B10B St Helens 459 7 98 2 413 16 96 4 
			 118 F03B Staffordshire 715 186 79 21 865 123 88 12 
			 119 B21B Stockport 372 7 98 2 357 12 97 3 
			 120 A06B Stockton-on-Tees 338 7 98 2 445 14 97 3 
			 121 F04B Stoke-on-Trent 404 143 74 26 418 139 75 25 
			 122 G10B Suffolk 287 148 66 34 495 216 70 30 
			 123 A12B Sunderland 443 42 91 9 719 25 97 3 
			 124 J19B Surrey 498 263 65 35 663 222 75 25 
			 125 H27B Sutton 412 32 93 7 387 13 97 3 
			 126 K11B Swindon 179 113 61 39 255 52 83 17 
			 127 B12B Tameside 303 15 95 5 383 24 94 6 
			 128 F02B Telford and Wrekin 261 *   250 13   
			 129 G07B Thurrock 187 *   284 9   
			 130 K10B Torbay 146 109 57 43 180 109 62 38 
			 131 H28B Tower Hamlets 781 61 93 7 874 136 87 13 
			 132 B02B Trafford 274 *   389 16 96 4 
			 133 D10B Wakefield 545 73 88 12 520 10 98 2 
			 134 F11B Walsall 403 66 86 14 514 23 96 4 
			 135 H11B Waltham Forest 277 130 68 32 437 22 95 5 
			 136 H29B Wandsworth 425 37 92 8 471 37 93 7 
			 137 B07B Warrington 199 35 85 15 379 24 94 6 
			 138 F12B Warwickshire 397 36 92 8 441 38 92 8 
			 139 J04B West Berkshire 87 22 80 20 100 27 79 21 
			 140 J12B West Sussex 211 239 47 53 380 210 64 36 
			 141 H30B Westminster 840 98 90 10 688 36 95 5 
			 142 B22B Wigan 416 86 83 17 617 10 98 2 
			 143 K12B Wiltshire 133 94 59 41 257 51 83 17 
			 144 J05B Windsor and Maidenhead 156 28 85 15 195 16 92 8 
			 145 B06B Wirral 524 56 90 10 683 49 93 7 
			 146 J06B Wokingham 84 13 87 13 78 12 87 13 
			 147 F13B Wolverhampton 646 11 98 2 793 8 99 1 
			 148 F14B Worcestershire 546 36 94 6 523 50 91 9 
			 149 D06B York 211 81 72 28 211 31 87 13 
			 * = Numbers under five suppressed.

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions his Department has had with outside organisations to discuss policy on reducing the effect of the recession on matters within his Department's responsibility.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has regular engagement with a range of outside organisations and stakeholders. The Department will continue to maintain this dialogue including on issues related to the economy and the implications for health and social care.

General Practitioners

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 693W, on general practitioners, what reasons have been identified for the reduction in numbers of GP referrals to consultants between 2003-04 and 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has not undertaken any specific research into the reasons for the slight decrease in general practitioner (GP) referrals to first consultant-led outpatient appointments between the period 2003-04 to 2007-08.
	
		
			  GP written referrals for first outpatient appointment (consultant-led): All specialties, England provider based 
			   Number of GP referrals made 
			 1997-98 8,991,722 
			 1998-99 9,139,785 
			 1999-2000 9,141,425 
			 2000-01 9,362,770 
			 2001-02 9,470,342 
			 2002-03 9,655,874 
			 2003-04 9,802,237 
			 2004-05 9,776,914 
			 2005-06 9,785,960 
			 2006-07 9,337,136 
			 2007-08 9,639,029 
			  Source: Department of Health, QM08, KH09, QAR (Quarterly Activity Return). 
		
	
	To improve the appropriateness of care patients receive, i.e. the right treatment from the right health care professional, in the right place and at the right time, the Department has issued guidance to the NHS 'Care and Resource Utilisation' (December 2006) (a copy of which has been placed in the Library), which sets out a range of ways in which primary care trusts and clinicians can work together to improve care provided to patients.

Health Services: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) average,  (b) maximum and  (c) minimum wait time has been at the Milton Keynes walk-in centre in January 2009.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally, but can be obtained from Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust.

Health Services: Public Consultation

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many responses the Department has received to the consultation, The case for change - why England needs a new care and support system.

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) on 15 December 2008,  Official Report, column 238W.

Healthcare Commission

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the Healthcare Commission of investigating healthcare complaints in 2008-09.

Ann Keen: We understand from the chairman of the Healthcare Commission that for the period April to December 2008 the cost to it of investigating complaints was 6.6 million. There were 6,011 complaints resolved in this period at an average cost of 1,102.

Healthcare Commission

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints the Healthcare Commission has referred to the Health Services Ombudsman in 2008-09.

Ann Keen: We understand from the chairman of the Healthcare Commission that in the period April to December 2008, 16 complaints were referred to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Healthcare Commission

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Healthcare Commission has targets for the time it takes to  (a) accept and  (b) resolve complaints; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: We understand from the chairman of the Healthcare Commission that there are no targets for accepting cases. The Commission has a target of closing 95 per cent. of independent review requests within 12 months of the date of receipt. The Commission is currently closing 95 per cent. of cases within six months of receipt.
	We are reforming the way complaints are responded to across health and social care. A new single system will be in place from April 2009. We have already started trying out the new approach in over 90 national health service and social care organisations across the country, known as 'Early Adopters'.
	The new approach is about making it easier and simpler for people wishing to make a complaint. Under the new arrangements for health, instead of the current three tiers of complaints handling (local NHS provider, the Healthcare Commission, then the Health Service Ombudsman) there will be a two tier system, with local resolution by the provider and then recourse to the Health Service Ombudsman.

Heart Diseases

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were  (a) diagnosed with and  (b) received treatment for heart disease in (i) England, (ii) the North East, (iii) the Tees Valley district and (iv) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: Please see the following tables and notes.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of people diagnosed with heart disease 
			  Financial year  Stockton on Tees Teaching primary care trust (PCT)( 1)  Middlesbrough PCT( 2)  Redcar and Cleveland PCT( 3)  North East total( 4)  England 
			 2007-08 7,943 6,513 6,901 127,972 1,892,432 
			 2006-07 8,007 6,537 6,982 129,478 1,898,565 
			 2005-06 8,063 8,485 5,204 131,123 1,900,640 
			 2004-05 8,079 8,541 5,313 131,668 1,893,184 
			 (1) Formerly North Tees PCT. Following the PCT reconfiguration in 2006  (2) a part of Middlesbrough PCT joined with others to form Redcar and Cleveland PCT. Middlesbrough PCT remained but as a smaller PCT.  (3) Langbaurgh PCT merged with a part of Middlesbrough PCT and became Redcar and Cleveland PCT.  (4) For 2007-08 and 2006-07 the North East total is the total for North East Strategic Health Authority (SHA). For 2005-06 and 2004-05 the North East total is the sum of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA and County Durham and Tees Valley SHA. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of people who received treatment for heart diseaseActivity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Financial year  Stockton on Tees Teaching PCT( 1)  Middlesbrough PCT( 2)  Redcar and Cleveland PCT( 3)  North East( 4)  England 
			 2006-07 1,033 639 608 16,374 310,642 
			 2005-06 1,145 885 491 16,363 312,164 
			 2004-05 1,234 1,028 554 16,987 311,532 
			 2003-04 1,134 1,146 609 17,934 310,418 
			 2002-03 1,163 1,188 644 18,465 306,380 
			 2001-02 1,159 1,275 734 18,812 295,050 
			 2000-01 1,124 1,372 738 20,113 293,911 
			 1999-00 1,109 1,474 779 19,723 289,729 
			 1998-99 974 1,500 752 19,691 290,391 
			 1997-98 957 1,352 665 18,289 284,269 
			 (1) Formerly North Tees PCT. Following the PCT reconfiguration in 2006  (2) a part of Middlesbrough PCT joined with others to form Redcar and Cleveland PCT. Middlesbrough PCT remained but as a smaller PCT.  (3) Langbaurgh PCT merged with a part of Middlesbrough PCT and became Redcar and Cleveland PCT.  (4) For 2007-08 and 2006-07 the North East total is the total for North East SHA. For previous years the North East total is the sum of the constituent organisations existing at the time.   Notes:  The Information Centre (IC) have provided data from the national Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) to answer part (a) and data from the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) to answer part (b). (a) The national QOF records the number of people recorded on practice disease registers. A register exists for coronary heart disease (CHD). Register counts are available for the last four financial years. The IC are unable to supply information for all the areas requested as some are not health regions. Where this occurs we have supplied information for the health areas that best fit those requested. Furthermore, some of these health areas have changed under the reconfiguration of PCTs and SHAs in 2006. (b) Figures from the HES give a count of hospital admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD). This is not a count of people treated as the same person could have been admitted several times and this also excludes treatment taking place in primary care.  Definitions  Table 1 QOF is the national Quality and Outcomes Framework, introduced as part of the new General Medical Services contract on 1 April 2004. Participation by practices in the QOF is voluntary, though participation rates are very high, with most Personal Medical Services practices also taking part. The published QOF information was derived from the Quality Management Analysis System (QMAS), a national system developed by NHS Connecting for Health. QMAS uses data from general practices to calculate individual practices' QOF achievement. QMAS is a national IT system developed by NHS Connecting for Health to support the QOF. The system calculates practice achievement against national targets. It gives general practices, PCTs and SHAs objective evidence and feedback on the quality of care delivered to patients. The QMAS captures the number of patients on the various disease registers for each practice. The number of patients on the clinical registers can be used to calculate measures of disease prevalence, expressing the number of patients on each register as a percentage of the number of patients on practices' lists.  CHD Registerdefinition In order to call and recall patients effectively in any disease category and in order to be able to report on indicators for coronary heart disease, practices must be able to identify their patient population with CHD. This will include all patients who have had coronary artery revascularisation procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Patients with Cardiac Syndrome X should generally not be included in the CHD register. Practices should record those with a past history of myocardial infarction as well as those with a history of CHD.  Table 2 Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Finished admission episodes (hospital admissions) A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. The ICD-10 codes used to identify CHD are as follows: 120Angina pectoris 121Acute Myocardial infarction 122Subsequent myocardial infarction 123Certain current complications following acute myocardial infarction 124Other acute ischaemic heart diseases. 125Chronic ischaemic heart disease.  Number of episodes in which the patient had a (named) primary diagnosis These figures represent the number of episodes where the diagnosis was recorded in the primary diagnosis field in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record.  Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  PCT/SHA data quality PCT and SHA data were added to historic data years in the HES database using 2002-03 boundaries, as a one-off exercise in 2004. The quality of the data on PCT of treatment and SHA of treatment is poor in 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99, with over a third of all finished episodes having missing values in these years. Data quality of PCT of general practitioner (GP) practice and SHA of GP practice in 1997-98 and 1998-99 is also poor, with a high proportion missing values where practices changed or ceased to exist. There is less change in completeness of the residence-based fields over time, where the majority of unknown values are due to missing postcodes on birth episodes. Users of time series analysis including these years need to be aware of these issues in their interpretation of the data.  Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Heart Diseases: Medical Treatments

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's most recent assessment is of the effectiveness of trans catheter aortic valves.

Ann Keen: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is the independent organisation responsible for assessing the effectiveness of new procedures and providing guide valve implantation was published by NICE in June 2008. NICE found that the evidence for effectiveness was limited to small numbers of patients who were considered to be at high risk for conventional cardiac surgery. It showed good short-term efficacy for such patients but there was little evidence available on long-term outcomes.
	The Department has worked with NICE and the relevant professional bodies to ensure that proper clinical audit of all patients receiving transcatheter aortic valve implantation is carried out so that outcomes can be assessed.

Heart Diseases: Medical Treatments

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times the NHS funded transcatheter aortic valve implants in each region in the last 12 months.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect this information centrally.

Heart Diseases: Medical Treatments

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27th January,  Official Report, column 403W, on heart disease: medical treatments, which primary care trusts have permitted the funding of transcatheter aortic valve implants.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect this information centrally. The Specialised Services Commissioning Groups, which are responsible for decisions on funding highly specialised services (subject to the funding priorities of their constituent primary care trusts), are in the process of agreeing a framework based on service criteria agreed by the relevant professional societies which will lead to designation of certain centres for this procedure within each strategic health authority area. Designated centres would then receive funding. It is understood that Yorkshire and Humberside Specialised Commissioning Group has already reached an agreement ahead of finalising the commissioning framework.

Heathrow Airport: Respiratory Diseases

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of 18 years have been admitted to hospital with  (a) acute asthma,  (b) acute emphysema,  (c) acute bronchitis and  (d) other acute respiratory disorders within (i) one mile, (ii) three miles, (iii) five miles and (iv) 10 miles of Heathrow Airport in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The Department does not hold centrally information on hospital admissions in the format requested, and such information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department is currently part-funding the Small Area Health Statistics Unit at Imperial College to study health effects in the vicinity of Heathrow airport associated with air pollution and noise using data on mortality, cancer incidence and hospital admissions. A report is due for publication in 2010.

Hepatitis

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to reduce the number of undiagnosed cases of hepatitis C; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to increase public awareness of the modes of transmission of hepatitis C; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department is continuing to run a hepatitis C awareness campaign for health care professionals and the public that uses a range of channels of communication such as press, radio and ambient advertising, leaflets and guidance, a campaign website, and a confidential and free telephone line to provides information about modes of transmission.
	The campaign aims to encourage those at risk of infection to seek testing and to assist health care professionals in identifying patients who may be at risk so that they can be referred for specialist care.
	In addition, the Department and the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) launched a joint harm reduction campaign last year for injecting drug users and those working with them that includes information about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C. The campaign supports implementation of the joint departmental and NTA action plan on reducing drug-related harm. A copy of the plan has been placed in the Library.

Hospitals: Admissions

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the five most common causes of admission to hospital for  (a) children and  (b) adults were in the latest period for which statistics are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The five most common reasons for admission to hospital for  (a) children and  (b) adults, where children are defined as under 16 years of age and adults over 16 years of age, in the latest period for which data are available are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  16 and under (children) 
			  Primary diagnosis( 1)  Number of finished admission episodes( 2) 
			 (Liveborn infants according to place of birth(3) 452,451) 
			 Acute upper respiratory infections of multiple and unspecified sites 41,494 
			 Disorders relating to short gestation and low birth weight 40,363 
			 Dental caries(4) 36,530 
			 Viral infection of unspecified site 34,800 
			 Acute tonsillitis 32,674 
		
	
	
		
			  Over 16 (adults) 
			  Primary diagnosis( 1)  Number of finished admission episodes( 2) 
			 Pain in throat and chest 257,113 
			 Abdominal and pelvic pain 237,959 
			 Other cataract 193,986 
			 Malignant neoplasm of breast 154,765 
			 Perineal laceration during delivery 144,848 
			 (1 )Primary diagnosisThe primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was treated in hospital. (2 )Finished admission episodesA finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (3 )Z38 (Liveborn infants according to place of birth) is used as a diagnosis code for babies who are well and do not require any care. Every episode (including birth episodes) must contain a primary diagnosis so this code is used for 'well babies'. To account for this, we have provided the top six most common conditions for 16 and under children. (4 )Prior to 2001 general dental practitioners (GDPs) were allowed to give general anaesthetics for dental procedures within their practices. Following their acceptance of the recommendations in the report A Conscious Decision Ministers agreed that by 31 December 2001 general anaesthesia for dental treatment should be administered in a hospital setting with critical care facilities. During 2001 regulations were put in place in respect of the administration of general anaesthesia for dental treatment under arrangements to provide general dental services and in the private sector. Thus anyone doing this in the primary care setting for the last year had to be inspected and registered by their local health authority. The large numbers of general anaesthetics undertaken by general dental practitioners (GDPs) and also the Community Dental Service had to be transferred to the hospital setting. Currently a large proportion of those general anaesthetics for treatment of dental caries are provided by the Salaried Dental Services, but out of acute hospital Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery departments under a services level agreement. They are usually out-patient in nature but because general anaesthetic has been given are counted as elective procedures.  Note:  Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Data year 2006-07.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Kidney Patients

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has for reducing levels of late diagnosis of chronic renal failure.

Ann Keen: The quality requirements of National Service Framework for renal services aim to minimise the impact of chronic kidney disease in its early stages.
	Since 2006 the Quality and Outcomes Framework has encouraged general practitioners to identify people in the earlier stages of chronic kidney disease. This can help to postpone or prevent the onset of end stage renal failure, a serious condition which can lead to death if untreated. Treatment of end stage renal failure can include transplantation or dialysis (renal replacement therapy or RRT).
	In addition, the vascular checks programme will put in place an integrated, systematic, population-wide vascular risk assessment and management programme for those between the ages of 40 and 74. This national programme will assess people's risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease and offer individually tailored prevention. Phased implementation will begin from April 2009-10. This programme has the potential to detect at least 20,000 cases of diabetes or kidney disease earlier, allowing individuals to be better managed and improving their quality of life.

Medicine: Internet

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to tackle the online purchase of counterfeit medicines.

Dawn Primarolo: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for tackling the availability of counterfeit medicines in the United Kingdom.
	A strategy to combat counterfeit medicine was published by the MHRA in November 2007. This strategy includes steps to combat the availability of counterfeit medicines through the internet. A copy has been placed in the Library and it can also be found at:
	www.mhra.gov.uk/home/groups/ei/documents/websiteresources/con2033156.pdf
	Part of the strategy focuses on providing the public with sufficient information to make an informed choice on how to obtain their medicines safely. This includes raising awareness through national advertising campaigns with industry and patient groups, and media articles.
	MHRA routinely monitor and investigate rogue websites offering medicines for sale on the internet. The agency can take enforcement action against wrong-doing based in the UK. MHRA work closely with the European Union and other international regulatory authorities to ensure that, wherever possible, offending websites based in those countries are amended to reflect the law and to request any appropriate enforcement action is taken by the authorities in those countries.
	In addition the MHRA is active in monitoring the internet and co-ordinating international action, including enforcement activity focused against those sites either operating, or fulfilling orders from within the UK. MHRA have brought 14 successful prosecutions, for illegal activity over the internet, in the UK over the last five years, including the supply of counterfeit medicines.

Mental Health Services: Expenditure

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on  (a) child and adolescent mental health services and  (b) adult mental health services in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: Data on additional funding given to the national health service and local authorities between 1999-2000 and 2007-08 for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are in the following table. This funding is additional to expenditure from NHS and local authority baseline budgets. The annual CAMHS Mapping, which started in 2003-04, has reported the total expenditure by the NHS and local authorities on CAMHS as follows: 2003-04322 million; 2004-05431million; 2005-06461 million; 2006-07523 million.
	
		
			  Department of Health CAMHS funding 1999-2000 to 2007-08 
			million 
			 1999-2000 10 
			 2000-01 20 
			 2001-02 35 
			 2002-03 20 
			 2003-04 47 
			 2004-05 103 
			 2005-06 159 
			 2006-07 86 
			 2007-08 119 
			 Notes: 1. Allocations in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2007-08 included NHS capital funding. In 2007-08 this was specifically used to increase the number of in-patient beds for children and young people. Since 2006-07, CAMHS NHS revenue funding has been included in baseline allocations. 2. Data on adult mental health services spending over 10 years are not available. Information provided is for working age adults over the last seven years. 
		
	
	
		
			  Total expenditure on adult mental health services from 2001-02 to 2007-08 at 2007-08 pay and price levels 
			   Total investment ( billion) 
			 2001-02 3.844 
			 2002-03 4.253 
			 2003-04 4.394 
			 2004-05 4.902 
			 2005-06 5.209 
			 2006-07 5.330 
			 2007-08 5.530 
			  Note: The data report on planned investment on working age adults only.  Source: Mental Health Strategies

Mental Health Services: Nurses

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered mental health nurses there were in Devon in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The information is not held in the format requested.
	The number of qualified mental health nurses in the South West strategic health authority area and the Devon Partnership NHS Trust, as at 30 September for each specified year, are given in the following table.
	
		
			  National health service hospital and community health services: qualified mental health nurses( 1)  in the South West strategic health authority area and the Devon Partnership NHS Trust as at 30 September each specified year 
			  Headcount 
			   1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 South West strategic health authority area 4,604 4,340 4,285 4,385 4,594 4,578 4,699 4,744 4,601 4,696 
			  Of which:   
			 Devon Partnership NHS Trust(2) 487 496 507 524 782 749 723 715 781 693 
			 (1) Mental health nurses figures are an aggregate of the Psychiatric Nursing and Learning Disabilities Nursing areas of work. (2) In 2001 Exeter and District Community Services NHS Trust and North Devon healthcare NHS Trust merged to form Devon Partnership NHS Trust. Figures prior to 2001 are an aggregate of these predecessor organisations.  Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce census

Mental Health Services: Nurses

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered mental health nurses were employed in the NHS in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The number of registered mental health nurses that were employed in the national health service in each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  NHS Hospital and Community Health Service: Qualified nursing staff in England by each specified area of work as at 30 September each specified year. 
			   All areas of work 
			 1998 48,877 
			 1999 48,922 
			 2000 49,026 
			 2001 51,315 
			 2002 52,204 
			 2003 53,678 
			 2004 56,046 
			 2005 57,377 
			 2006 56,061 
			 2007 56,117 
			  Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census. 
		
	
	The number of mental health nurses has increased by 14.8 per cent. from 48,877 in 1998 to 46,117 in 2007.

MRSA

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's Clean Safe Care strategy for reducing MRSA infections and deaths.

Ann Keen: The Clean, safe care strategy was published in January 2008, and gave an overview of our strategy and initiatives, many of which were already well established, to tackle health care associated infections (HCAIs) and improve cleanliness. A copy of the strategy has already been placed in the Library.
	We have significantly reduced meticillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. The latest Health Protection Agency data for July to September 2008 show a reduction in MRSA bloodstream infections of 33 per cent. compared to the same quarter in 2007. In 2008, the national health service met the nationwide target to halve the number of MRSA bloodstream infections compared to 2003-04 levels. Latest figures also show a 62 per cent. reduction compared to the quarterly average in 2003-04, making further progress.
	The number of death certificates that mentioned MRSA decreased by 4 per cent. from 1,652 in 2006 to 1,593 in 2007. This is the first time the number of death certificates mentioning MRSA has fallen since ONS records began in 1993.
	The following table details the number of death certificates with MRSA mentioned and MRSA as the underlying cause, England and Wales, 2003-07.
	
		
			  Number of death certificates in England and Wales 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Mentions of MRSA 968 1,138 1,649 1,652 1,593 
			 Number of these where underlying cause of death is MRSA 322 357 465 519 460 
			  Source: ONS Health Statistics Quarterly. 
		
	
	Many patients who become infected with a HCAI have other serious and potentially fatal underlying medical conditions. Doctors are not supposed to record all diseases or conditions present at death, only those that contribute directly to it. It is a matter of individual professional judgment whether the doctor lists an HCAI as a contributory cause. There have been a number of initiatives to raise the profile of HCAIs and improve their acknowledgment as diagnoses in their own right. In October 2007 and July 2005 the chief medical officer reminded doctors of the importance of giving full and accurate information on the death certificate, particularly in relation to HCAIs.
	We have commissioned an evaluation of the effectiveness the HCAI and Cleanliness Improvement Programme (one strand of the Clean, safe care strategy) with a specific focus on the work streams focused on reductions in the incidence of MRSA. We are also commissioning work to understand the ways in which hospital cleanliness relates to other aspects of a good environment, and how this might have an impact on HCAIs. These studies are in their initial stages and will provide results later in 2009.

MRSA

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of NHS clinical staff who are carriers of MRSA.

Ann Keen: It is estimated that 3-5 per cent. of staff are colonised with MRSA.

NHS Treatment Centres: Private Sector

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner referrals to independent sector treatment centres there were in each year since such centres were established.

Ben Bradshaw: Through the Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) programme, more than 1.49 million operations, diagnostic assessments and primary care consultations have been provided to national health service patients (as at 31 December 2008).
	The Department does not hold information about the number of general practitioner referrals to ISTCs.

NHS Treatment Centres: Private Sector

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to general practitioners on the referral of patients to independent sector treatment centres.

Ben Bradshaw: Independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) providers and primary care trusts (PCTs) ensure patients and referring general practitioners (GPs) are provided with appropriate information regarding ISTCs.
	The Department does not directly issue guidance to GPs on the referral of patients to ISTCs. When patients are referred by their GP for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment they are entitled to choose the organisation that provides their NHS care and to the information to support that choice. As set out in the NHS constitution this will become a legal right from 1 April 2009.

NHS Treatment Centres: Private Sector

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many independent sector treatment centres there are.

Ben Bradshaw: The centrally procured Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) procurement process was conducted in two stages: Wave 1 and Phase 2. There are currently 25 fixed-site Wave 1 ISTCs, eight Phase 2 ISTC schemes, a mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) service, a mobile cataract service and six commuter walk-in centres. There are also two Phase 2 ISTC schemes in mobilisation.
	A full list of the centrally procured ISTC schemes is provided as follows.
	
		
			  Wave 1 ISTCs 
			  Contract  Location  Hospital name  Provider 
			 GC4 Thames Valley Blakelands NHS Treatment Centre Ramsay Health Care UK* 
			 GC4 East Cornwall Bodmin NHS Treatment Centre  
			 GC4 East Lincs Boston NHS Treatment Centre  
			 GC4 North East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire Clifton Park NHS Treatment Centre  
			 GC4 West Lincolnshire Gainsborough NHS Treatment Centre  
			 GC4 North Oxford Horton NHS Treatment Centre  
			 GC4 Southampton Ramsay New Hall Hospital NHS Treatment Centre  
			 GC4 Thames Valley Ramsay Reading Hospital NHS Treatment Centre  
			 GC4 Northumberland Tyne and Wear The Cobalt NHS Treatment Centre  
			 
			 GC5 W Cheshire and Merseyside Cheshire and Merseyside NHS Treatment Centre Interhealth Care Services (UK) Ltd. * 
			 GC5 W Kidderminster Kidderminster NHS Treatment Centre  
			 
			 GC5E Nottingham Nottingham NHS Treatment Centre at QMC Nations Healthcare Ltd. 
			 
			 GC6 Maidstone Mid Kent NHS Treatment Centre Partnership Health Group 
			 
			 GC7 Outer North East London North East London NHS Treatment Centre Partnership Health Group 
			 
			 GC8 Wycombe Mid and South Buckinghamshire NHS Diagnostic Centre Care UK* 
			 GC8 Portsmouth St. Mary's NHS Treatment Centre  
			 GC8 Brighton Sussex Orthopaedic NHS Treatment Centre  
			 GC8 Havant Havant Diagnostic Centre  
			 GC8 Medway Will Adams NHS Treatment Centre  
			 
			 LP2 Bradford Eccleshill NHS Treatment Centre Nations Healthcare (Bradford) Ltd. 
			 
			 LP3 Burton upon Trent Midlands NHS Treatment Centre Nations Healthcare (Burton) Ltd. 
			 
			 LP4 Trent and South Yorkshire Barlborough NHS Treatment Centre Partnership Health Group 
			 
			 LP7 Shepton Mallet Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre UK Specialist Hospitals 
			 
			 LP8 Greater Manchester Greater Manchester Surgical Centre Netcare UK Ltd. 
			 LP9 Plymouth Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre Partnership Health Group 
			 
			 MRI Mobile Diagnostics (120 sites) MRI Fastrack Alliance Medical Ltd. 
			 
			 OC123 Mobile Catract Solution (10 sites) Opthalmic chain Netcare UK Ltd. 
			 
			 CWiC Manchester Manchester Piccadilly NHS Walk in Centre Atos Healthcare 
			 CWiC Liverpool Street Liverpool Street NHS Walk in Centre Walk in Health 
			 CWiC Canary Wharf Canary Wharf NHS Walk in Centre Atos Healthcare 
			 CWiC Newcastle Newcastle Central NHS Walk in Centre Care UK 
			 CWiC Victoria Victoria NHS Walk in Centre Care UK 
			 CWiC Leeds Headrow NHS Walk in Centre Netcare UK Ltd. 
		
	
	
		
			  Phase 2 ISTCs 
			   Contract  Location  Hospital name  Provider 
			 D01 London Diagnostics Mobile sites John Scott Health Centre InHealth* 
			St. Leonards Primary Care Centre  
			Langthorne Health Centre  
			St. George's Hospital  
			Northwick Park Hospital  
			Appleby Health Centre  
			The Centre  
			Wood Street Health Centre  
			Broad Street Health Centre  
			Barking Hospital  
			Edgware Community Hospital  
			St. Ann's Hospital, St. Ann's Road  
			University Hospital Lewisham  
			Guy's Hospital  
			Old Deer Park  
			Queen Marys Hospital  
			Hainault Health Centre  
			Lordship Lane Clinic  
			Bingfield Primary Care Centre  
			North Middlesex Hospital  
			King's Oak Hospital  
			Bishops Wood Hospital  
			Shirley Oaks Hospital  
			London Independent Hospital  
			Barnet General Hospital  
			The Garden Hospital  
			London Imaging Centre  
			Blackheath Hospital  
			The Sloane Hospital  
			Central Middlesex Hospital  
			Northwick Park Hospital  
			Clementine Churchill Hospital  
			Mayday University Hospital  
			  
			 E01 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Avon In mobilisation Care UK* 
			   Gloucestershire In mobilisation  
			   Wiltshire In mobilisation  
			  
			 E05 Cumbria and Lancashire Carlisle Caldew Outpatient Centre Ramsay Health Care UK* 
			   Gisburne Abbey Gisburne Park Hospital  
			   Blackpool Classic Fylde Coast Hospital  
			   North Tyneside Cobalt Treatment Centre  
			   Chorley Euxton Hall Hospital  
			   Preston Fulwood Hall Hospital  
			   Kendal Ramsay Kendal site (on Westmorland General Hospital Site)not yet operational  
			   Darlington Woodlands Hospitalshort term until Kendal is operational  
			   Ormskirk Renacres Hall Hospital  
			   Middlesbrough Tees Valley Treatment Centre  
			  
			 E06 Cheshire and Merseyside Crewe BMI South Cheshire Hospital Spire Healthcare (Holdings) Ltd. * 
			   Liverpool Classic Lourdes Hospital  
			   Macclesfield Classic Regency Hospital  
			   Wrexham Classic Yale Hospital  
			   Manchester Spire Manchester Hospital  
			   Merseyside Spire Murrayfield Hospital (Wirral)  
			   Warrington Spire Cheshire Hospital  
			  
			 E08 Greater Manchester (A) CATS Greater Manchester In mobilisation Care UK 
			 E08 Greater Manchester (B) CATS Greater Manchester In mobilisation Care UK 
			  
			 E09 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Hampshire and Isle of Wight Southampton NHS Treatment Centre PHG/Care UK 
			  
			 E15 Northumberland Tyne and Wear Gateshead Spire Gateshead NHS Treatment Centre Spire Healthcare (Holdings) Ltd.* 
			   Washington Spire Hospital Washington  
			  
			 E16 Renal (national scheme) Wirral Clatterbridge Hospitalshort term in existing building then permanent in new build Fresenius Medical Care (UK) Ltd.* 
			   Merseyside Whiston Hospitalshort term, then St. Helen's Hospital permanently  
			   St. Helens St. Helens Hospitalpermanent after temporary Whiston Hospital  
			   Cheshire Warrington Hospital  
			   Merseyside Southport and Formby District General Hospital  
			   Hull Royal Hull Infirmary  
			   North Lincolnshire Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby  
			   Cheshire Halton General Hospital, Runcorn  
			   Yorkshire Scarborough General Hospital  
			   North Lincolnshire Scunthorpe General Hospital  
			   East Yorkshire Bridlington and District Hospital  
			   South Yorkshire Montagu Hospital, Dearne Valley  
			   Nottinghamshire Bassetlaw Hospital, Woksop  
			  
			  PET/CT North (Diagnostics) Liverpoolmobile site Broadgreen Hospital Alliance Medical* 
			   Clatterbridgemobile site Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology  
			   Stoke-on-Trentmobile site University Hospital of North Staffordshire  
			   Leedsmobile site to become fixed in 2009 Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust  
			   Middlesbroughmobile site South Tees NHS Trust  
			   Sheffieldmobile site to become fixed in 2009 University Hospital Sheffield NHS Trust  
			   Newcastlemobile site Freeman Hospital  
			   Hullmobile site University of Hull Hospitals NHS Trust  
			  
			   Londonfixed site Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Trust NHS subcontract with Alliance Medical* 
			   Prestonfixed site Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust  
			   Birminghamfixed site University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust  
			  
			  PET/CT South (Diagnostics) Colchestermobile site Colchester District General Hospital Inhealth Molecular Imaging Ltd.* 
			   Northamptonmobile site Northampton General Hospital  
			   Leicestermobile site Glenfield Hospital  
			   Norwichmobile site Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital  
			   Maidstonemobile site Maidstone Hospital  
			   Cambridgemobile site Addesbrookes Hospital  
			   Southamptonmobile site Southampton General Hospital  
			   Bournemouthmobile site Royal Bournemouth General Hospital  
			   Plymouthmobile site Peninsula Radiology Academy  
			   Tauntonmobile site Musgrave Park Hospital  
			   Poolemobile site Poole Hospital  
			   Basildonmobile site Basildon  
			  
			   Londonfixed site Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Trust NHS sub-contract with Inhealth Molecular Imaging Ltd.* 
			   Nottinghamfixed site Queens Medical Centre  
			 * Indicates provider braced for subsequent rows.

NHS: Fees and Charges

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the next stage of the NHS co-payments review will examine means of reducing inequality between patients who can and cannot afford to co-pay for treatments which are unavailable on the NHS.

Dawn Primarolo: Professor Mike Richards completed his review in October 2008, and the Secretary of State made his report, Improving access to medicines for NHS patients, public on 4 November 2008. A copy of the report has already been placed in the Library.
	In his report, Professor Richards carefully considered equity issues before making recommendations to the Secretary of State about policy on additional private care. In line with Professor Richards' recommendations, the Secretary of State announced a package of measures to improve access to drugs on the national health service, including a new scheme from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to introduce greater flexibility in appraising expensive drugs for end of life conditions with small numbers of patients. These measures will mean that more drugs are available on the NHS, which will reduce the number of patients who may wish to buy additional private drugs.

NHS: Fees and Charges

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanism will be put in place to ensure that the possibility for patients to co-pay for a treatment does not act as a disincentive for NHS primary care trusts to fund that treatment.

Ben Bradshaw: It is one of the guiding principles of the national health service that a person should have access to health services based on clinical need, and not on the ability of a patient to pay. Professor Richards' review, Improving access to medicines for NHS patients, was based on, and reinforces, this principle. The NHS Constitution, published on 21 January 2009, also reaffirmed this as one of the key principles underpinning all that the NHS does. Copies of both documents have already been placed in the Library. Decisions by primary care trusts on funding for individual patients are no exception to this.

NHS: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the capital budget of the NHS for each year from 2006-07 to 2010-11, in real terms using 2006-07 prices.

Ben Bradshaw: The requested statistics are given in the following table.
	
		
			  NHS Capital Expenditure 2006-07 and 2010-11 
			Capital net NHS expenditure (nominal)  billion  Capital net NHS expenditure (real 06-07) prices)( 1) 
			 2006-07 Outturn 3.069 3.069 
			 2007-08 Outturn 3.591 3.487 
			 2008-09 Plan 4.567 4.295 
			 2009-10 Plan 5.428 5.030 
			 2010-11 Plan 4.674 4.215 
			  Note: 1. Use gross domestic product Deflator at 23 December 2008.

NHS: ICT

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many penalties have been imposed on suppliers for security breaches under the NHS national programme for IT in the last 12 months; and what the total monetary value of those penalties was.

Ben Bradshaw: There have been no confirmed security breaches attributable to suppliers under the national information technology programme in the period concerned. In consequence, the question of penalties has not arisen.

Official Engagements

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the official engagements of Ministers in his Department were from 1 November to 30 November 2008.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Details of official engagements from 1 November to 30 November 
			  DH Minister  Date of meeting  Organisation 
			 Secretary of State, Alan Johnson 4 November 2008 Health Oral Questions 
			  5 November 2008 Meeting on Government Response to Carol Black's Review 
			  5 November 2008 MeetingIranian Minister of Health 
			  5 November 2008 MeetingDavid Blunkett MP and CEO, Alzheimer's Society 
			  6 November 2008 Cabinet 
			  6 November 2008 Closing the Gap: Health Equality through Action on the Social Determinants of HealthSpeech to conference 
			  6 November 2008 Q and A to NHS Confed Employers Conference 
			  6 November 2008 MeetingBrazilian Minister of Health 
			  8 November 2008 VisitSilver Star Diabetes Centre 
			  9 November 2008 Politics Show 
			  10 November 2008 Cabinet Committee 
			  10 November 2008 MeetingLord MandelsonPharmaceutical Industry 
			  11 November 2008 Armistice Day ceremony 
			  11 November 2008 Cabinet 
			  11-14 November 2008 International visit to WashingtonSpeech 
			  17 November 2008 MeetingChair, East Midlands SHA 
			  17 November 2008 MeetingRoyal Brampton Hospital 
			  18 November 2008 Cabinet 
			  18 November 2008 Children's Plan Conference 
			  18 November 2008 MeetingChair, South West SHA 
			  18 November 2008 British Energy and MS Society Reception 
			  19 November 2008 Evidence to Health Select Committee 
			  20 November 2008 MeetingChinese Health Minister 
			  20 November 2008 National Stakeholder Forum Meeting 
			  24 November 2008 Cabinet 
			  25 November 2008 Event for Launch of Dame Carol Black Review 
			  25 November 2008 MeetingAustralian High Commissioner 
			  25 November 2008 Ministerial Industry Strategy Group 
			  26 November 2008 Meeting with Dr. Richard Taylor MP and Prof. Mike RichardsRichards Review 
			  26 November 2008 Event to celebrate 35 years of United Response (UR) 
			  27 November 2008 New Savoy Partnership Conference Psychological Therapies in the NHS speech + 
			  28 November 2008 Visit to Hillside Bridge Healthcare Centre 
			  28 November 2008 Regional CabinetLeeds 
			
			 Minister of State (Health Services)Ben Bradshaw Minister for the South West 4 November 2008 Health Oral Questions 
			  5 November 2008 Visit to NHS North of Tyne 
			  7 November 2008 Regional Economic Work Task force meeting (as Regional Minister for the South West) 
			  10 November 2008 Visit to TwoFour Studios (as Regional Minister for the South West) 
			  11 November 2008 DebateThe Medical Professions (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 202008 
			  12 November 2008 Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities Parliamentary Group 
			  12 November 2008 MeetingNeil Turner MP re: Health Inequalities through primary care trust allocations 
			  12 November 2008 ConferenceRegional Development Agency's Annual Public meeting 
			  12 November 2008 ReceptionThird Annual HSJ 50 Celebration 
			  13 November 2008 Ministers' Regions Summit 
			  14 November 2008 Telephone callChief Inspector, CSCI 
			  17 November 2008 MeetingChair of the Socialist Health Association 
			  17 November 2008 DebateAffirmative regs for the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Amendment of List of Responders) Order 202008 
			  17 November 2008 Adjournment DebateHealthcare in Sutton 
			  18 November 2008 Adjournment DebateGovernment policy on people with strokes 
			  18 November 2008 MeetingRuth Carnall CBE to discuss London 
			  18 November 2008 MeetingMuscular Dystrophy Campaign 
			  19 November 2008 SHA Chairs monthly meeting 
			  20 November 2008 National Stakeholder Forum 
			  20 November 2008 SpeechExcellence Awards (as Regional Minister for the South West) 
			  21 November 2008 MeetingRegional Director, Environmental Agency (as Regional Minister for the South West) 
			  24 November 2008 MeetingChairmen of the National Association of Primary Care 
			  25 November 2008 NHS Confederation 
			  25 November 2008 Breakfast briefing meeting with Trisha GoddardPatient Choice 
			  25 November 2008 DinnerNHS Confederation London PCT Policy Chairs Dinner 
			  26 November 2008 SpeechSouth West Forum Annual Conference 202008 (as Regional Minister for the South West) 
			  27 November 2008 MeetingHealthcare Commission 
			
			 Minister of State(Public Health) Dawn Primarolo 4 November 2008 Health Oral Questions 
			  5 November 2008 SpeechNational Alcohol ConferenceNottingham 
			  5 November 2008 SpeechReception of the Commission on Social Determinants for Health International ConferenceLondon 
			  6 November 2008 Commission on Social Determinants for Health International ConferenceLondon (Including a Dinner and a speech) 
			  6 November 2008 Media Interview with the Observer 
			  10 November 2008 MeetingGerman Health Minister 
			  10 November 2008 Cabinet Committee 
			  10 November 2008 Launch for Change4Life 
			  11 November 2008 You and Yours programme 
			  11 November 2008 MeetingForesight Review Officials 
			  11 November 2008 MediaHealthy Towns 
			  12 November 2008 MeetingBaroness Gould 
			  12 November 2008 MeetingGisela Stewart MP 
			  12 November 2008 Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) 
			  13 November 2008 Westminster Hall DebateTackling Obesity 
			  13 November 2008 MeetingMarie WoolfJournalist 
			  17 November 2008 Reception for those who worked on Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 
			  19 November 2008 SpeechIDeA (Improvement and Development Agency) Conference 
			  20 November 2008 Adjournment DebateOrgan Donation 
			  20 November 202008 National Stakeholder Forum 
			  21-24 November 2008 International Trip to Libya 
			  25 November 2008 Select Committee on Pandemic Influenza 
			  25 November 2008 SpeechFabian Society Conference 
			  25 November 2008 Phone callMinister for Health Northern Ireland 
			  25 November 2008 MeetingJapanese Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association 
			  26 November 2008 SpeechFitness Industry Association 
			  26 November 2008 Phone callMinister of Health for Wales 
			  27 November 2008 Phone callMinister of Health for Scotland 
			  26 November 2008 Faculty of Family Planning Association 
			
			 Minister of State (Care Services)Phil Hope Minister for the East Midlands 3 November 2008 Social Care and Support event, Norwich 
			  3 November 2008 Dignity VisitJulian Hospital, Norwich 
			  4 November 2008 Health Oral Questions 
			  4 November 2008 SpeechTUC event, London 
			  4 November 2008 MeetingCouncil of Regional Ministers, London 
			  4 November 2008 National Autistic Society Reception 
			  4 November 2008 Cabinet Committee 
			  5 November 2008 Cross-Government meetingGovernment response to Dame Carol Black's review 
			  5 November 2008 MeetingAlzheimer's Society 
			  7 November 2008 SpeechSkills for care accolade event, London 
			  10 November 2008 Social Care and Support eventBrighton 
			  10 November 2008 Dignity VisitBrighton 
			  11 November 2008 SpeechLocal Government Association event, Health and Well-being, London 
			  11 November 2008 MeetingPresident, Royal College of Psychiatrists 
			  11 November 2008 SpeechHelp the Aged, London 
			  12 November 2008 SpeechEnglish Community Care Association (ECCA) national conference 
			  12 November 2008 SpeechCarers UK Summit, London 
			  18 November 2008 SpeechMental Health Providers Forum Conference, London 
			  19 November 2008 SpeechPacesetters programme, London 
			  19 November 2008 SpeechLocal Government Information Unit Conference on Services for Older people 
			  19 November 2008 Human Rights Inquiry Event 
			  19 November 2008 Cabinet Committee 
			  19 November 2008 SpeechCounsel and Care parliamentary reception 
			  19 November 2008 SpeechAll Party Parliamentary Group on Social Enterprise 
			  20 November 2008 MeetingAnnual Performance Assessment of Councils for 2007-2008 
			  20 November 2008 Speech2010 and Beyond :A new Era for Mental Health Policy in the UK, London 
			  20 November 2008 SpeechNational Stakeholder 
			  20 November 2008 Social Enterprise Visit 
			  22 November 2008 Final care support independence event, Birmingham 
			  25 November 2008 SpeechDignity in Care Conference 
			  25 November 2008 Meetingmembers of Law commission 
			  26 November 2008 Life Chances Ministerial Group 
			  26 November 2008 MeetingLloyds Pharmacy 
			  26 November 2008 MeetingAlzheimer's Research Trust 
			  27 November 2008 Telecare conference event, London 
			
			 Parliamentary Under Secretary (Lords) Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, KBE 3 November 2008 MeetingFoundation Trust and NHS Confederation 
			  3 November 2008 MeetingNational Association of Colitis and Crohn's Disease 
			  3 November 2008 MeetingHumana Europe 
			  4 November 2008 Oral StatementTop ups 
			  4 November 2008 MeetingThe Academy of Medical Sciences 
			  5 November 2008 MeetingThe Health Foundation 
			  5 November 2008 MeetingAPAX 
			  5 November 2008 VisitNorthgate Clinic 
			  6 November 2008 MeetingHealthTalkOnline 
			  6 November 2008 MeetingNHS Alliance 
			  6 November 2008 MeetingMonitor 
			  10 November 2008 MeetingHealthcare Commission 
			  10 November 2008 MeetingBUPA 
			  11 November 2008 MeetingRoyal College of Midwives 
			   Royal College of Anaesthetists 
			   Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 
			   Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 
			   Academy of Medical Royal Colleges 
			   Royal College of Surgeons of England 
			   Royal College of Physicians 
			   Royal College of General Practitioners 
			
			  11 November 2008 MeetingDr. Foster Intelligence 
			  12-14 November 2008 International visit to WashingtonSpeech 
			  18 November 2008 MeetingNHS Consultant's Association 
			  19 November 2008 MeetingLondon Assembly 
			  19 November 2008 MeetingFlorence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery 
			  20 November 2008 Oral PQ 
			  26 November 2008 Visit to Keele University 
			
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health, Ann Keen 3 November 2008 ReceptionRoyal College of Pathologists 
			  4 November 2008 Health Oral Questions 
			  5 November 2008 MeetingRNIB 
			  5 November 2008 MeetingThe Lindsey Leg Club Foundation 
			  5 November 2008 SpeechHuman Tissue Authority 
			  5 November 2008 SpeechChief Nursing Officers summit 
			  6 November 2008 SpeechNHS Employers Annual Conference 
			  11 November 2008 SpeechAll Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer 
			  11 November 2008 MeetingRoyal College of Midwives 
			  12 November 2008 EventNursing Times Awards 
			  14 November 2008 VisitOpening Nursing and Midwifery Campus 
			  18 November 2008 SpeechAntibiotic Awareness Day 
			  18 November 2008 SpeechSecond Children's Plan Conference 
			  18 November 2008 SpeechWorld Diabetes Day 
			  19 November 2008 SpeechWorld Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day 
			  21 November 2008 VisitHarefield Heart Centre and Harefield Hospital 
			  25 November 2008 SpeechHealthcare for London Conference 
			  25 November 2008 SpeechA Framework for Violence and Abuse Prevention

Patient Choice Schemes

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of slots on the Choose and Book system were reported to be unavailable when requested by patients in the last 12 weeks for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information on the percentage of slots unavailable for patients to book into.
	The Department does collect the number of instances of slot unavailability as reported by The Choose and Book Appointments Line (TAL), expressed as a ratio of all successful direct bookings. This is presented for the last 12 weeks for which figures are available covering the period week ending 9 November 2008 to week ending 25 January 2009 in the following table.
	
		
			   Slot unavailability  Total weekly directly bookable service outpatient bookings  Slot issues as percentage of bookings 
			 9 November 2008 11,121 77,534 14.3 
			 16 November 2008 11,234 77,141 14.6 
			 23 November 2008 12,302 74,370 16.5 
			 30 November 2008 12,221 73,206 16.7 
			 7 December 2008 11,305 73,498 15.4 
			 14 December 2008 9,412 69,313 13.6 
			 21 December 2008 8,506 70,731 12.0 
			 28 December 2008 3,357 35,312 9.5 
			 4 January 2009 3,145 66,099 4.8 
			 11 January 2009 6,125 86,609 7.1 
			 18 January 2009 6,583 84,902 7.8 
			 25 January 2009 7,099 87,567 8.1 
			  102,410 876,282 11.7 
			  Notes: 1. The weekly report expresses the percentage as a percentage of successful directly bookable service bookings. 2. Individual national health service trusts are responsible for ensuring that enough appointments slots for first outpatient appointments are made available through the Choose and Book system to ensure patients and general practitioners can book into them electronically.  Source: Choose and book weekly report as recorded by the Choose and Book Appointments Line (TAL)

Smoking: Young People

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to help teenagers give up smoking.

Dawn Primarolo: Reducing smoking among young people is a priority for the Government. Much has already been achieved in this area, including raising the age of sale of tobacco products, legislation to strengthen sanctions available against retailers who persistently sell tobacco to children and young people, and smoking is addressed in the National Curriculum and through the Healthy Schools Programme.
	Protecting children and young people from smoking was one of four key aspects of the Department's Consultation on the future of tobacco control published on 31 May 2008. A copy has already been placed in the Library. Responses to the consultation are informing the development of a new strategy on tobacco control, which will include action to continue to tackle the uptake of smoking by young people.
	The Government this year are taking forward tobacco control legislation intended to protect and support young people in the Health Bill. The Health Bill includes a prohibition on the display of tobacco products, which will help to eliminate the marketing of tobacco products, to which young people are susceptible. The Bill will also provide powers to restrict or ban the sale of tobacco from vending machines, removing a major source of tobacco for young people.
	Local stop smoking services are able to provide a range of support options to anyone wanting to quit smoking, including young people. Resources are also available that can be accessed by smokers direct on smoking cessation, these include the NHS gosmokefree website and from the general NHS Smoking Helpline (0800 169 0 169).

Social Security Benefits: Compensation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been recovered by the NHS under the provisions of the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997 in each year since it entered into force.

Kitty Ussher: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Work and Pensions administers recoveries on behalf of the NHS. However those recoveries are not under the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997, but the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999, and The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003.
	Those recoveries are in the following table:
	
		
			  NHS Recoveries 
			   million 
			 1999-00 30.05 
			 2000-01 75.85 
			 2001-02 98.28 
			 2002-03 105.03 
			 2003-04 105.65 
			 2004-05 117.50 
			 2005-06 121.50 
			 2006-07 128.19 
			 2007-08 137.04 
			 2008-09(1) 111.19 
			 (1) This figure is up to and including December 2008

Spinal Injuries: North East

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the longest time was that a patient had to wait to receive treatment for spinal cord injury in the North East in the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the count of finished admission episodes by time waited with a primary diagnosis of spinal cord injury, for hospitals in the north-east of England from 2002-03 to 2006-07.
	
		
			   All admission episodes  Up to 1 week  1 up to 2 weeks  2 up to 3 weeks  3 up to 4 weeks  4 up to 5 weeks  Unknown Time Waited 
			 2006-07 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 
			 2005-06 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 
			 2004-05 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 2003-04 5 2 0 2 0 0 1 
			 2002-03 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			  Notes: 1. Finished admission episodes: A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. However, admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. Primary diagnosis: The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES dataset and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. 3. Time waited (days): Time waited statistics from HES are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period, whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension. 4. Spinal cord injury is defined as one of the following ICD-10 codes recorded in primary diagnosis field: 5140 Concussion and oedema of cervical spinal cord; 5141 Other and unspecified injuries of cervical spinal cord; 5142 Injury of nerve root of cervical spine; 5143 Injury of brachial plexus; 5240 Concussion and oedema of thoracic spinal cord; 5241 other and unspecified injuries of thoracic spinal cord; 5242 Injury of nerve root of thoracic spine; 5340 Concussion and oedema of lumbar spinal cord; 5341 Other injury of lumbar spinal cord; 5342 Injury of nerve root of lumbar and sacral spine; 5343 Injury of cauda equina; 5344 Injury of lumbosacral plexus; T060 Injuries of brain and cranial nerves with injuries of nerves and spinal cord at neck level; T061 Injuries of nerves and spinal cord involving other multiple body regions; T093 Injury of spinal cord, level unspecified; T094 Injury of unspecified nerve, spinal nerve root and plexus of trunk.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Thalassaemia

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy on the treatment of thalassaemia is.

Ann Keen: The Government support the availability of treatment services for thalassaemia that fit the model outlined in High Quality Care for All, that care should be fair, personalised, effective and safe.
	Key to this is the development of clinical networks of specialist care and the concept that every patient should have access to optimal specialist management and care, as well as routine care provided conveniently close to home. Clinical networks for Haemoglobinopathy disorders (thalassaemia and sickle cell) have now been established and initial meetings of stakeholders have taken place.
	We are also currently undertaking a peer review of service provision and commissioning arrangements for haemoglobinopathies. This will inform a programme of supportive action later in the year, in partnership with the national health service and stakeholders.

Thalassaemia

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the variation in funding of oral iron chelation drugs for the treatment of thalassaemia patients between primary care trusts.

Ann Keen: We have made no such assessment.

Thrombosis

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions the Healthcare Commission has had with the Care Quality Commission on including risk assessment for venous thromboembolism as a clinical audit indicator.

Ben Bradshaw: Discussions between the Healthcare Commission and the Care Quality Commission are matters to be raised with them directly.

Thrombosis

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to include risk assessment for venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients as an indicator in the 2009-10 Care Quality Commission periodic review of NHS providers.

Ben Bradshaw: We expect indicators to be included in periodic reviews of NHS providers to reflect the existing commitments and tier 1 and 2 vital signs that were set out in the 2009-10 operating framework.

Thrombosis

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to include risk assessment for venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients as a topic for special review by the Care Quality Commission in 2009-10.

Ben Bradshaw: In addition to its core statutory functions, the Care Quality Commission also has the power to carry out special reviews into specific or general issues to do with health or adult social care provision.
	The Care Quality Commission is currently consulting on the list of topics it is considering for special reviews and studies for 2009-10. This consultation remains open until 12 March 2009 see
	www.carequalitycommission.org.uk/consultations/reviews_in_0910.aspx).

Transplant Surgery

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many organs were successfully transplanted in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) type of organ and  (b) transplant centre.

Ann Keen: Based on the definition that a transplant is successful if the patient survives beyond the point of their three month check-up; figures for the number of organs successfully transplanted in each year since 1997, broken down by type of organ and transplant centre have been placed in the Library.

Transplant Surgery

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 827-32W, on transplant surgery: figures, if he will break down by year the figures given for organ and ocular tissue transplants in the UK.

Ann Keen: Information showing organ and ocular tissue transplants in the United Kingdom in each year since 1998, broken down by transplant centre and organ, has been placed in the Library.